Rivers State indigenes, especially those from the communities that host the Port Harcourt International Airport, have decried the sack of trolley operators, otherwise known as porters, by the airport management.
Some of the aggrieved indigenes who spoke to The Tide on the matter alleged that 80 percent of the trolley operators at the airport are Rivers indigenes.
They described the sack of the trolley operators as a calculated attempt by the airport management to deny the indigenes the opportunity to work at the airport.
Reacting to the matter, a travel agent and indigene of one of the host communities , Mr Handsome Ibeche, alleged that Rivers indigenes were not given fair treatment at the airport, especially in the area of employment.
He further alleged that employment opportunities meant for Rivers indigenes were hijacked by outsiders, saying all employments, including those of junior workers, are carried out in Abuja and Lagos.
“Look at what is happening here now, the trolley operators who are mostly indigenes have been sacked.
“What we are seeing now is that management has taken their jobs, and has given them to few of their own brothers who are not even from Rivers State. What do they want others to do with their families?”, he asked.
Another indigene, Chris Ogbonna, said that the airport management did not do well in its decision to retain only non indigenes in the trolley operations which, he said, was capable of generating a revolt against the management.
“You can count in all the departments, both junior and senior staff, how many of them are Rivers indigenes. And for free, I can tell you that they want to silence indigenes here, because this is the only place one can say the indigenes are managing to survive with, but look at what has happened”, he said.
One of the sacked trolley operators, Mr Jonathan Amadi, told The Tide that he never envisaged the sack .
According to him, he stopped his electronics maintenance workshop to start the trolley job at the airport, only for him to be relieved of the job by the airport management.
He, however, expressed optimism that the airport management would soon recall him and other sacked porters.
When our correspondent contacted the Head, Corporate Affairs of the airport , Mr Kunle Akinbode, for response, he said that the airport management only carried out the order handed down to it by the Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.

By: Corlins Walter