BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Barring a change in plans, aviation workers drawn from different unions will from midnight of Wednesday (November 8), shutdown operations at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, Imo State.
They also declared Hope Uzodimma, the Imo State Governor, persona non grata at all airports in Nigeria until “he purges himself of bestial tendencies”.
Added to the list of sanctions is a plan by the unions to leverage their offshore affiliations to blacklist Uzodimma worldwide.
The withdrawal of all services to Owerri flights (inwards and outwards) is in response to the ongoing feud between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma over the recent attack on protesting labour unions in Owerri by louts allegedly loyal to the Governor.
The fracas led to the manhandling of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who suffered varying degrees of injuries.
NLC and its affiliate unions said a nationwide strike starting from Imo State would send a strong warning to all entities trying to hush dissenting voices and abolish peaceful protests, being one of the constitutional rights of Nigerians.
The NLC said the attack on Ajaero was barbaric and unprovoked, especially when it was clear that the union embarked on a peaceful protest over the worsening plight of workers in the state who were reportedly owed several months of salaries.
The aviation unions, comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) said they have received the green light from the joint National Executive Council (NEC) session of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) to proceed on strike.
The aviation unions, in a statement, directed all aviation workers (both public and private) to comply with the directive to ground Owerri Airport.
“Based on the above, the State Councils and all branches of the unions will meet today at 5pm in Lagos and Abuja to agree on modalities for carrying out the above directive. The meeting in Lagos will be held at NUATE Secretariat, while that of Abuja will be at GAT (pilgrims’ terminal).
“By this notice, the airports’ managements, airlines operating into and out of Owerri, intending airport passengers into and out of Owerri, and the general public are hereby advised about this situation so as to be forewarned”, the unions said in the statement.
