The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Nigeria Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA) have announced a partnership which ensures both bodies collaborate on safety and share ideas on critical issues in the Nigerian aviation Industry.
The two professional unions disclosed this yesterday at NAAPE Secretariat in Lagos when NAFSA Executive paid a visit and agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a date that would be agreed on by the two parties.
Speaking at the visit , the President of NAAPE, Engineer, Abednego , Galadima who led the aircraft pilot and engineer body to receive the visiting NAFSA team thanked the visitors for coming stating that NAAPE values the service the association provide for the aviation sector especially for pilots and engineers.
Galadima pointed out that as a professional body, the union protects the interest of its members in particular and also promotes safety and growth in the aviation sector in general.
Aviation , he said, is a safety driven sector adding that with collaboration aviation would further be enhanced. “In the labour movement, the more the merrier.
Aviation is a safety critical industry and team work is very important . We have collaborated with NATCA and as a result we have NAAPE,NATCA forum where we share ideas on how to move the industry forward .
“Now that NAFSA want to also collaborate with us ,we welcome you with open arm. Even if we have to sign a MoU on critical issues, we are ready. We are unions who support companies to grow not to pull down organisations. We are in the union to protect the interest of our members,†he reiterated.
On his part, the President of NAFSA, Comrade Ugbeikwu Sunday said that though not all the members of the executive are attending the collaborative meeting but that they are fully aware of the collaborative meeting with NAAPE.
He added that in subsequent meetings NAFSA will be attending in full strength.Ugbeikwu disclosed that NAFSA has its secretariat in Lagos but that the association has its branches in all the airports in the country.
NAFSA, he informed is saddled with the responsibility of collaborating, liaising, cooperating and encouraging the relevant authorities in the aviation industry.
“We know what we are doing and we know we can always do better with the collaboration with NAAPE because we are service driven but unfortunately most people at the leadership positions are not service driven,†he said.
He hinted that this is not the first professional union NAFSA is partnering with, adding that the association has also met with the leadership of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) which also has a very vibrant professional union like NAAPE.
He pointed out that no government or entity can establish an airport without the services of NAAPE, NATCA and NAFSA.
Ugbeikwu noted that aviation business is collaborative and that no one professional union can do it alone, hence the meeting today with NAAPE having met with NATCA previously.
He said, “We cannot pursue the course of our members without the assistance of these unions .The collaboration is to support; partner more to move the industry forward.â€
