Aviation
Dana Air, Air Nigeria Workers Risk Job Loss
No fewer than 1.200 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the continued grounding of Dana Air and Air Nigeria.
Dana Air was grounded when its aircraft, flight 0992 crashed in Lagos on June 3, 2012 killing 153 passengers on board, six crew mebers and some others on ground while Air Nigeria was suspended from flight operation on June 22, 2012 by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for not meeting its contractual agreement in terms of payment of salaries.
Dana Air has 540 workers, including those in out-stations in Port Harcourt, Abuja, Calabar and Uyo,who are now worried about their fate, not knowing whether they would ever be allowed to operate or not.
Similarly, Air Nigeria has about 700 workers, including those in out-stations like pilots, engineers, cabin crew etc.
It also has workers in its destinations in the West and Central African sub-regions as well as its headquarters in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) has written a letter to the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah Ogiemwonyi, requesting that Dana Air should be allowed to resume operation.
AON said the chairman of the airline, its management and staff were worried about the continued suspension without any notice of possible resumption.
It said the staff of Dana Air, the families and other dependents were at the risk of losing their source of livelihood following the grounding of the airline.
“On staff salaries one, for its over 540 staff, the airline currently spends about N90 million per month”, it added.
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Aviation Professionals Want Agencies Boards’ Inauguration
As a measure to curb corruption and restore accountability, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), has called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to push for the urgent formation and inauguration of governing boards for all other aviation agencies.
ANAP’s Secretary General, AbdulRasaq Saidu, made this call at the weekend when interacting with aviation correspondents, in reaction to recent inauguration of Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Keyamo had recently inaugurated the FAAN board, more than six months after its members were appointed by President Bola Tinubu, where Dr. Umar Ganduje was named Board Chairman, with FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, as the Vice Chairman.
Other board members include representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Defence, Tourism, and Aviation, as well as professionals from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and FAAN’s legal department.
The ANAP scribe there urged the aviation Minister not to stop at FAAN but to ensure that all aviation parastatals are given functional boards to restore order and credibility to the sector.
He, however, commended Keyamo for recently inaugurating the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria but stressed that more needed to be done.
Saidu also warned that the continued delay in constituting boards for other aviation agencies creates room for unchecked abuses, including illegal contracts, fraudulent employment practices, and mismanagement.
“The absence of governing boards violates the enabling Acts that established these agencies. Only properly constituted boards can enforce discipline, ensure due process in decision-making, and provide oversight to prevent corruption”, Saidu said.
He emphasised that the aviation unions, including ANAP, have consistently raised concerns about poor governance and lack of transparency within the aviation system.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly by appointing board members for all relevant agencies, in the interest of fairness and aviation safety.
Saidu also tackled the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for failing to inaugurate any boards during his eight-year tenure, despite appointments being made by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“ANAP raised the alarm several times under Sirika’s leadership, but nothing changed. That lapse has continued under the current administration, and it must be addressed now”, Saidu stated.
By: Corlins Walter
