Aviation unions have announced their plan to shut down airports nationwide starting March 31 in response to the failure to remove a customs officer who allegedly assaulted the Director of Aviation Security at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
In a joint statement issued by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), signed by Ocheme Aba, Frances Akinjole, and Abdul Rasaq Saidu, the unions expressed their resolve to no longer tolerate the ongoing physical assaults on FAAN staff.
The unions also called on the government to urgently reduce the number of customs officers operating within civil aviation, in line with global practices.
The statement reads: “Considering the enormity and frequency of physical and psychological assault on the staff and management personnel of FAAN, of which there is no end in sight, we are compelled to inform the management of the unwavering determination of our unions to cause the establishment of a clear framework of mutual respect among FAAN staff and the security agencies operating at the airports.
“Consequential sanctions are in place which guarantee the safety and human rights of FAAN staff. We shall direct all the workers to withdraw from the airports with effect from March 31, 2025, pending when such protocols are established.
“The recent assault on no less a personality than the Director of Aviation Security of FAAN is one too many, which leaves a taste too bitter to swallow. It is our sincere hope that our demand in the above respect is well met to avoid the industrial conflagration that will ensue in the absence of acceptable remedial actions.”
In response, Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesperson for Customs, stated in a recent release that the disagreement between FAAN officials and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) stemmed from a miscommunication over equipment movement and seating arrangements.
