Aviation organization cease operation of NCAA Over New Organogram

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NNPC insists that it will not set aviation fuel prices or require airlines to obtain import licenses.
NNPC insists that it will not set aviation fuel prices or require airlines to obtain import licenses.

Aviation unions on Wednesday cease operation of the offices of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at the Lagos airport in protest against the new organogram approved for the agency by the Federal Government.

The organization issued a Notice of Strike Action against the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Tuesday in Lagos. The unions are Air Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE).

Others are the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).

Mr Francis Akinjole (Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN), Mr Rasaq Saidu (General Secretary, ANAP), Mr Aba Ocheme (General Secretary, NUATE) and Mr Umoh Ofonime ( Deputy General Secretary, NAAPE) jointly signed the strike notice.

The unions said the move was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) and the NCAA management to comply with the seven-day ultimatum issued on May 13.

According to them, the ultimatum to review the newly approved organogram was completely ignored by the ministry, while the NCAA management reacted only with half-hearted measures.

They said: “This means that no single item on the demand list has been ameliorated.

“Having, therefore, exhausted all efforts and patience on the issues and left with no other option, our unions hereby direct all staff of NCAA to commence an indefinite industrial action with effect from 5 a.m. on May 22.
“In the above regard, the general public is hereby notified that the situation will remain so until the issues are resolved.”

NAN reports that the unions had on May 13, staged a peaceful protest at the NCAA headquarters in Lagos to express their dissatisfaction with the new organogram and the non-promotion of some staff for over three years.
They said the new organogram recommended the collapse of five key directorates and departments in the NCAA. They are Consumer Protection, Licensing Standards, General Aviation, Aeromedical and Legal Services.

According to the unions, this will annihilate several existing manned positions of Assistant General Managers, Deputy General Managers, General Managers and Directors in the various Directorates thereby leading to future redundancy.

However, Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, told NAN that the unions were within their rights to voice their complaints about the new organogram and that the matter would be looked into by the management.

Adurogboye noted that collapsing of the directorates was done by the committee because they were established outside of the NCAA Act.

“On the issue of promotion, what happened is that everybody cannot be promoted when the positions available are few, so management has to use different criteria.

“Management is still looking at the issue and is considering posting some persons outside the headquarters to find more spaces for them,” he said.