Senate halts demolition of aviation agencies’ offices at Lagos airport

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has been directed by the Senate to halt the ongoing demolition of the offices belonging to agencies doing aviation activities at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The directive is intended to pave the way for intervention by the Senate Committee on Aviation, chaired by Senator Biodun Olujimi.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Olujimi (representing Ekiti South) on Tuesday in Abuja.

The motion, titled, “Urgent need of Senate intervention on the intending warning strike by Aviation Unions”, lamented the rot in the aviation sector due to incessant strikes and poor funding.

The lawmaker drew the attention of the upper legislative chamber to the warning strike by the Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers.

She noted that the strikes have become too many and too frequent to ignore as issues in contention are not new.
Olujimi revealed that some of the issues being contended have lingered for over eight years with several agreements signed between the unions and government and which were not honoured.

According to her, the continuous threats of outright demolition of the headquarters of the aviation agencies, FAAN, NCAA and NAMA in Lagos by the ministry without making reasonable provisions for befitting alternative offices, is making the affected unions fight back through strike actions.

After exhaustive debate on the motion, the Senate mandated its committee on aviation to organise round table discussions with all parties involved in the crisis.

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan in his remarks described aviation as the face of the country which must not be allowed to run into crisis.