PLACARDS like ” Hadi Sirika renovated N50m Abuja runway forN10b”,” Yemi Osibanjo is misinformed”,” Concession is evil, Hadi Sirika must go” filed the air as unions under the Joint Aviation Congress came together to protest the concession of airports.
However, the protest was not without events as the unions turned on each other in what can only be described as power play with some refusing others to express their opinions.
Officials of the Air Transport Senior Staff Services of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) muzzled Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) which led to dissection in ranks.
The Unions run in illicit get murmurs and disenchantment from everyone on either divide and seemingly affected their plans to stand together and address federal government’s planned concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Before the hurly-burly, those who addressed the gathering made it clear of their intention to stand between FG and the concessioning of the nation’s cash cow.
Secretary General of NUATE, comrade Olayinka Abioye who spoke told the gathering that the Vice President could not concession the nation’s airports via Twitter.
He also expressed shock at the amount earmarked by the Minister in order to do a roadshow for the airports’ concession stating that it
is tending towards criminality in this age of digitization and the social media.
” The Vice President cannot go on his Twitter handle to say airports have been concession end. Nigerian government is not run on Tweet itter. The vp said two airports will be concessions and the minster says four airports so they are in confusion both minister and vp do not understand each other.”
” FG is budgeting 600million for overseas to advertise the airports overseas. But if you concession the cash cows Lagos and Abuja what about Ibadan and Akure? They will die automatically.”
Also speaking, president of ATSSSAN, Comrade Amadu ilitrus called on all the unions to shun the in-fighting and come together to create a stronger and more vibrant position.
” we must negotiate from a position of strength. We must mobilise and get it right.”
