The federal government said Wednesday that strikes and riots by aviation workers in Nigerian airports will not be tolerated.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Minister of Aviation Mr Hadi Sarika said the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria Act prohibits strikes and riots around airports.
He said government would no longer allow strikes at any airport in the country.
“It’s in the law of the land, check the FAAN Act, it’s been assented to and it’s going to take place soon, in fact now, from today we will not allow that,” he said.
He said enforcement of the law assented to by the President has begun in earnest.
“Now that we have the Act in place and assented to by Mr. President and passed by the National Assembly, we will deal with it according to the law.
“We will ensure no essential service is being disrupted by anybody no matter how aggrieved. There are other channels of channeling issues when they arise but they are not permitted to go on strike because aviation is an essential service and is the law of the land now.
“I will give you an example, there was an airline that had to return to base because it couldn’t land. Imagine if there was a patient on that aircraft. Imagine somebody attending to a very serious issue or matter at hand or business or a student trying to catch up with an exam and then because of somebody who is aggrieved some other person will die.
“Government will no longer allow that. So it’s in the law of the land, check the FAAN Act, it’s been assented to and it’s going to take place soon, in fact now, from today we will not allow that.
“As a government, our ears are always open, government is open to listen to any grievances and there are procedures for dealing with this kind of grievances. They should please desist from this, it is wrong, it is inhuman, it is not allowed, it is not permitted and we will not be permitted any longer,” he said.
He said government would ensure no essential service is being disrupted by anybody no matter how aggrieved, stressed that “there are other channels of channeling issues when they arise but they are not permitted to go on strike because aviation is an essential service and is by the law of the land now.”
“I will give you an example, there was an airline that had to returned to base because it couldn’t land. Imagine if there was a patient on that aircraft.
“Imagine somebody attending to a very serious issue or matter at hand or business or a student trying to catch up with an exam and then because of somebody’ who is aggrieved some other person will die,” he said.
He said the federal government is open to engagements with all stakeholders on all issues of national interest.
He appealed to the workers to “desist from this, it is wrong, it is inhuman, it is not allowed, it is not permitted and we will not be permitting any longer.
The minister apologised to those making use of air transportation over the recent strike embarked upon by the National Union of Air Transport Employees and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, assuring that it will not happen again.
“This is very important to the traveling public. First, we apologize to them, our teeming passengers in this difficult moment.
“Secondly, this will not happen in the future by the grace of God. And the reason is simple, aviation is an essential service, the Act has been assented to by Mr. President, so strikes and riots around our airports are prohibited by the laws of the land,” he said.
