Why we did not obstruct flight operations — Comrade Ocheme

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) have declared that the recent two days warning organized by them was not meant to stop the airlines from flying as Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) were not members of the striking unions.

The unions had embarked on a two-day warning strike early in the week to ensure implementation of the Condition of Service (CoS) for their members in some of the aviation agencies including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)m Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

According to the General secretary of one of the unions, NUATE. the warning strike was 100% successful with the aim absolutely achieved.

Lamenting how some of the unions pulled out of struggle which he said they were initially part of, Ocheme declared: “It has been successful. All the flights that were operated this morning (Monday), filed in their flight plans yesterday (Sunday) and very early today (Monday). So, they already had their flight plan. With that they could fly, but not such activities had happened since today (Monday) because organs of NAMA that are responsible for it have been shut down since yesterday (Sunday) night and they are still shut down as we speak.

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“There has not been any weather report anywhere in Nigeria since 4.a.m today and so, any plane that is flying currently is flying blind. They are the ones to take responsibility for safety under such conditions. We understand that within their own norms, it is allowed, they can fly blind. I am sure if such practice was okay, there won’t be any need to expend such money to acquire the equipment and set up NIMET in the first place.”

“The same happens in all the other arms of NAMA that take part in flight activities this morning. That is what we have set out to do and at this moment, we don’t have any issue or programme to close down the airport physically or disallow staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from operating in any of the airports. Those are not part of our programme. For the fact that we have withdrawn our services, it is more than 100 per cent success.”