Workers’ rage over fresh appointments, restructuring in air travel sector

Some aviation workers have accused the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, of frustrating the restructuring of the sector.The workers, under the aegis of Nigeria Aviation Professionals Association (NAPA), alleged that Sirika has not only bowed to pressure of some big wigs in relevant government agencies, but has also continued on the path of past appointments that disregarded due process.

Specifically, the union alleged that some graduate level entrants had been thrown into the civil service fray, to occupy managerial posts.It would be recalled that workers’ unions, including NAPA, have been clamouring for restructuring of the sector to address some appointments and directorate proliferations made during the era of Stella Oduah at the helm of affairs.

As if speaking the minds of the Unions, Sirika had on assumption of office, complained about the huge workforce in some sections of the agencies, much to the dearth of technical hands that are most vital to the smooth running of operations in some key sections.

For instance, the minister publicly complained about the huge number of general managers in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), saying he could not work with such a larger number, with attendant wage bill of N800 million a month.There were hints from the ministry of transportation that some 3000 suspicious appointments made during the last administration were meant for probe with a view to restructuring the entire sector for best performance.

It was gathered that some of the personnel were brought into regulatory agencies, with rapid promotions that were not justifiable. Besides, plans were already on to reduce the 11 directorates in FAAN to six, with similar plan for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The restructuring, if executed, would return FAAN, NAMA and NCAA back to the status quo of fewer directorates they had some six years ago. Former minister of aviation some years ago expanded the directorates in FAAN from six to 10. The six were Directorates of Administration, Commercial, Finance, Engineering Operations and Security.

After the expansion, Directorate of Legal Service, which was a department under the Managing Director’s office, emerged, alongside Directorates of Cargo, Projects and Human Resources.

The restructuring exercise under Sirika, came with huge promises and expectations, to see Directorates of Human Resources and Administration come together as it was before; Directorate of Project would go back to Engineering Directorate and Cargo Directorate would revert to Directorate of Commercial.

Secretary General of NAPA, AbdulRasak Saidu, said that the last might have been seen on the restructuring plan, with Sirika bowing to pressure from some workers.
Saidu said it was even more shocking to find that “new people were brought to supersede the older ones contrary to the salary structure approved by the Federal Government.”

“Now that they are going to make ‘proper’ placements, an NYSC will be placed on level 14 to 16. You will see them in FAAN and NCAA, whereas there are people that have served for 10, 15 and 20 years that will be their subordinates.“For us, that is not how to address the problem. The structure that the former administration left in aviation is what is still being used. It is the voice of Jacob, the hand of Esau and we are not going to take it. We demand that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi intervene,” Saidu said.

The Secretary General added that the regime of questionable appointments has crept into the spheres of workers’ unions, with union leaders becoming beneficiaries of questionable appointments.He alleged that the president of Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), Benjamin Okewu, “has been bought over with his secondment from Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria to Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) for two-years.”

He said it was unfortunate that the president of an industrial union would buy into such, with his elevation from Level 12 to 15, where workers were fighting for proper placements.“The aviation workers are in serious danger because they don’t have committed leaders to free them from the yoke of this imperialism in the aviation sector.”

But in response to NAPA and others like the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), AIB has denied that the appointment has untoward motive, citing that “secondment is a normal exercise in the civil service.”Head of Public Affairs at the AIB, Tunji Oketunbi, said Okewu was not placed in an underserved position even as the management has not violated extant rules on secondment.

Oketunbi explained that the salary structure of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, is different from that of the regular civil service. NCAT is part of the tertiary education salary structure where the highest-grade level is CONTEDIS 15 for a director while the civil service salary structure, which AIB operates, terminates at Grade Level 17 for a General Manager.

“Besides, Mr. Okewu was due for promotion as at January 2016. AIB cannot promote him but only asked him to cover the duties of the Head of Human Resources in acting capacity as AGM (GL 15 or CONTEDIS 13). Moving into Human Resources from planning background in addition to his immense experience in industrial relations is a plus for his new assignment.

“The management frowns at NAAPE meddling in the internal affairs of AIB and urge it to concentrate on working for the improvement of its members’ welfare. Trade unions should not fan embers of disunity but work for cohesion and team work in establishments where they are represented,” Oketunbi said.