John Ogbe, the branch chairman of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) at FAAN, revealed this development in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Monday. He indicated that FAAN is taking the unions' demands seriously and seeking a resolution at the highest levels of the Customs Service.
Further underscoring the urgency of the situation, a source within FAAN, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization, informed our correspondent that the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has also reached out to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to apprise them of the escalating tensions and potential disruptions.
The current standoff is rooted in a series of inter-agency clashes, a recurring problem particularly between FAAN personnel and operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service stationed at the airport. The immediate trigger for the threatened strike was the alleged recent assault on the Director of Aviation Security Services (AVSEC), Igbafe Afegbai, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos by Customs officers. This incident ignited widespread outrage among aviation workers against the Customs Service.
In a forceful reaction to the incident, a coalition of three prominent aviation unions – ATSSSAN, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) – jointly issued a 14-day ultimatum. Their primary demand was the immediate redeployment of the Controller of the Murtala Muhammed Area Command of Customs in charge of the Pilgrims and Cargo Terminal, along with all officers implicated in the attack on the AVSEC Director.
Beyond the immediate issue of the alleged assault, the unions also called upon the Federal Government to fundamentally redefine the roles of Customs within bonded warehouses located at civil aviation facilities. They argued for a necessary alignment of these roles with established global standards within the aviation industry.
Following the expiration of the initial 14-day ultimatum without their demands being met, the unions issued a subsequent seven-day ultimatum, which ultimately elapsed on March 31st.
Providing an update on the impending industrial action, ATSSSAN branch chairman John Ogbe informed our correspondent that a direct appeal from the Managing Director of FAAN prompted the unions to grant a one-week extension in the hope that their grievances would be addressed.
"The strike would have started but for an appeal from the MD of FAAN, who told us that she had opened the discussion with the Controller General of Customs over the matter," Ogbe stated. "We gave one week again, but this time, we won’t be going back to them before our action. And it was last Thursday that we gave that final extension," he firmly added, indicating the unions' resolve.
Multiple sources indicate that aviation workers are already mobilizing and preparing for the industrial action. According to their latest plans, the strike action, which could severely disrupt air travel across the country, is poised to commence this Friday. The outcome of the ongoing engagements between FAAN, the Controller General of Customs, and potentially the NSA's office will be crucial in determining whether this potentially crippling strike can be averted.