FG: Aviation Workers Joining ASUU Solidarity Protest will Have Security Implication

•Describes NLC’s planned action as illegal, unhelpful 

•Okays N7.5bn for airports surveillance equipment, irrigation project

Deji Elumoye

The federal government yesterday formally reacted to next week’s planned protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in solidarity with public university-based unions over the five-month old industrial action, saying such protests could threaten the nation’s security.

It specifically warned that there was bound to be serious security consequences if aviation workers join the planned labour solidarity protest scheduled for July 26 to 27, 2022, over the protracted strike by university-based unions.

The government equally described the planned protest as not only illegal, but unhelpful to efforts being made by all parties involved to resolve the protracted industrial action.

Answering questions from newsmen on threats posed by aviation workers’ resolve to join the solidarity protest, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who spoke at the State House, Abuja, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, described the development as worrisome.

According to him: “I’m naturally concerned about this if the aviation union will shut down in support of ASUU. I would say they have no need to. I will say also that we should begin to look at civil aviation as a critical national security enterprise. It has all the implications. We should not contemplate or think about an aviation disaster. We should also think about the general activity on the economy of Nigeria without aviation. It’s okay.

“This is democracy, you can push for demands, but in pressing for demands you should be reasonable in doing so.

“Where the life that you’re trying to promote would be seriously affected and hampered; where lives can be lost because of your own activity, I think it should be reconsidered. So, civil aviation workers, I think should not be part of this.

“Yes, I am concerned and yes we’ve spoken to them and I don’t think they will join because they know that there’s huge responsibility of lives on their heads. If you’re an Air Traffic Controller, it involves national security, it involves the capability of preventing external aggression and so on and so forth.

“I believe that they are very aware of the enormous responsibility upon them in civil aviation and they should continue to see it so and continue to be as law abiding as we want them to be.”

Speaking in the same vein on the planned NLC protest, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed said people should begin to interrogate what labour was doing, insisting that there was no direct dispute between labour and the government.

According to him, the government was already addressing the dispute with the university workers, pointing out that NLC was even a member of the tripartite panel looking into their grievances.

He said: “So calling out people on street protest, you begin to wonder, what is the motive of NLC in this matter? But you see here, we do not interrogate what NLC is doing. NLC by its own laws, cannot even give out pamphlets. And NLC is supposed to be completely insulated from politics.

“Now, if you declare dispute with us, yes you can go on strike. Even that one would depend on whether certain steps have been taken or not. But this particular NLC, you know, asking and mobilising people to come out on strike on July 26 and 27, is clearly on nothing”.

Reminded that the labour union was affected because the prolonged strike was affecting their children, Mohammed said the government was as worried as everybody but felt that the labour union should join hands with the government in finding lasting solutions to the logjam.

“They are part of the tripartite agreement that have been negotiating with federal government on this ASUU issue. So why are they now going out to take sides? I think you also interrogate it yourselves. I think it’s popular to get NLC out and support but ask yourself how does that help the problem? How does that solve the problem? What you are going to create is more anarchy. And I think the NLC should think twice about their proposed strike in solidarity with ASUU.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts worth N7,499,603,500 for an irrigation project augmentation in Adamawa State and surveillance equipment for two airports in the country.

Minister of Aviation, Sirika, who disclosed this said Council approved contracts worth N1,499,603,500 for the award of contract for surveillance equipment for two airports in the country.

According to him, the benefiting airports are those of Kaduna and Port Harcourt in Kaduna and Rivers States respectively.

He said: “The approval is for the award of contracts for the design, supply and maintenance of mobile surveillance observation systems with remote controlled licence and these are for the airports of Port Harcourt and Kaduna and it will continue to other airports progressively.

“We are beginning with the first two but it will continue with the remaining airports in the future and the contract sum for this particular procurement is N1, 499,603,500.00 including the 7.5 percent value added tax and it will be delivered within 30 weeks”.

Sirika also announced that FEC approved that Nigeria enters into a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Canada.

He explained that the agreement was in accordance with the Chicago convention, to which both Nigeria and Canada are signatories.

Minister of Water Resources, Sulieman Adamu, also said Council approved the augmentation of N6 billion for the Chochi irrigation project in Adamawa State.

According to him: “As you know the trend with us since the inception of this administration has been to lay emphasis on completion of ongoing project that we inherited.

“This project started in 1988 during Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) era to provide 1,200 hectares of irrigation in Chochi in Yola, Adamawa State, unfortunately, it has suffered a lot of setbacks.

“First of all following the dissolution of PTF, it was transferred to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and was kept in the cooler for about eight years, before it finally emerged in 2006 and reawarded to the same company Impressive Bacolori, but in subsequent years, it has suffered so many things.

“There has been a lot of encroachment in the area because it’s outside the Yola town, in between Yola and Jimiter. Buildings have sprung up, filling stations and so on and so forth. So, which of course cause is at several point to redesign the project. Now, we are poised to complete it. And one of the key issues is that the project is based on pumping.

“At the time it was awarded, diesel was very cheap. But now diesel is so expensive. So, we provided a solar component to provide energy for the pumps, to irrigate the land and this is one of the reasons in addition to variation of prices, foreign exchange fluctuation that calls for a review of this project, seeking for augmentation of about N6 billion and an extension of time to complete the project. At the same time, we felt the need for strengthening the technical, financial, managerial capacity of the company, which has dwindled over time.”