Joseph Ajaero, Kabir Gusau Calls for Establishment of National Carrier

Adeyemi Matthew 

Joseph Ajaero

The National President, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joseph Ajaero says, the body throws its weight behind government’s decision to establish National Carrier.

Domestic airlines, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, last year, asked the Federal High Court to stop the commencement of the new carrier.

The suit was filed by The Registered Trustees of the AON, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited and Topbrass Aviation Limited.

Also, Ethiopian Airlines Board Chairman, Girma Wake, weekend met with President Muhammadu Buhari, asking for early resolution of the legal disputes delaying the take off of the Nigeria Air project.

However, speaking after a visit to Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP, in Lagos, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, noted that, the country establishing a national carrier was long overdue, adding that due process must, however, be followed.

He said: “The country can not be supporting foreign airlines to rip off the country and to the detriment of its local airlines.

“But we would demand as a matter of right a National Carrier, Nigeria must have a national carrier, you mentioned here, air, land and sea, we cannot be depending on foreign carriers, at a stage trying to give them subvention and we keep on mouthing that government has no business in business and government now has business in another person’s business,

”If an individual is running an airline, government will be giving individual money to survive but government cant use debt money to run its own business.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Secretary General, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu said, they were elated to have the NLC President visit the union describing his visit as a great honour to them.

He listed the challenges they want addressed by the National body to include, the concession of airports, Condition of Service, CoS, planned demolition of agencies buildings, weakening the power of the unions as regards aviation workers penned as essential workers and the absence of Boards of Directors in the past eight years.

Comrade Saidu revealed that for the past seven years there was no written approved  condition of service for workers even after the review.

He noted that, one man’s decision in the aviation industry had negatively affected the day to day running of the organizations in all the agencies.

A foremost union leader, ANAP, Comrade Kabir Gusau, also added his voice calling on the NLC to urgently address these issues.

He applauded the NLC President’s call for the establishment of a National Carrier as this would not only create jobs for the teeming unemployed pilots, engineers and technical staff, it would also help to stimulate business activities in the industry.

Highlights of the meeting was the singing of the solidarity songs and group photographs with the leadership of other unions from the maritime, rail, transport, Lagos State NLC among others.

March 02, 2023