The Senate Thursday declared that it would be suicidal for the federal government to unlock the aviation sector this Sunday, June 21, as earlier planned.
The Senate Committee on Aviation raised the alarm after an emergency meeting with leaders of unions in the sector led by the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.
The federal government had the penultimate week fixed Sunday, June 21, 2020 as date for commencement of domestic flights in five major airports across the country after about 75 days of lockdown in curtailing the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
But the Senate Committee on Aviation after being briefed by unionists in the sector on the inherent danger in the plan, called on the federal government to suspend it for now.
Specifically, chairman of the committee, Smart Adeyemi (APC Kogi West) said based on serious issues raised by stakeholders in the sector as regards safety and security, the plan to unlock it should be postponed.
“As submitted by the key players in the sector, many of the pilots have lost currency and needed to be re-certified, certificates of airworthiness of most of the aircrafts have expired, most of the workers are owed salaries or on half salary since the lockdown began in March.
“These are serious issues directly connecting to safety and security aside required intervention that must be made by the government in the form of bailouts for the operators.”
Former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah (PDP Anambra North) , concurred with Adeyemi and the aviation stakeholders on the need to suspend unlocking of the sector for now.
Leaders of various unions in the sector, including Comrade Galadima Abednego, the National President of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Comrade Ilitrus Ahmadu, National President of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, and Comrade Nnamdi Hector, the General Secretary of Joint Aviation Trade Union Forum, had in their submissions , painted gloomy picture of the sector and imminent danger of restarting it this Sunday.
Comrade Abednego in his submission told the committee members that many of the pilots had lost their currency as a result of the lockdown spanning about 75 days now.
According to him, each of the pilots required $30,000 for re-currency or re- certification in the face of none payment of salaries.
“Most of the Airlines have either disengaged their pilots during the lockdown or not able to pay them full salaries, treating us as modern day slaves.
Painting a more gloomy picture in his own submission, Comrade Ilitrus Ahmadu of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, said restarting the sector now would be a recipe for disaster as many of the workers were hungry and angry due to none payment of salaries.
He said: “Even federal government owned agencies in the sector like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is involved in the none salary payment to workers.”
