Aviation unions in the country have called on President Bola Tinubu to cancel the ongoing concession process of  airports across the country.

Speaking at the freedom square at the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Ikeja, during the unions Congress, the union leaders described the exercise as a deceit without carrying the workers along

Addressing workers, the President of National Association of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) Comrade Ben Nnabue called for restart of the whole process and allow for bids by interested organisations in a transparent manner.

“They should start afresh, so that the whole Nigerians that want to participate in the ownership of the airport will participate.

And all the airports have to come together, weigh them, know their value”.

Nnabue said the unions are are not aware of the process being used to for the concession process

He called for the resolution of all labour issues before delving into concession adding that labour demands  are not being attended to while the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo, has already announced that he has gotten approval from FEC to concession the Enugu airport.

“So we just want the world to know that before any concession can take effect, that the labour issues must be discussed and handled”.

He noted that the  process is flawed from the appointment of the concessionaire till date as they are not aware of how and when the bid  was advertised.

“The airport belongs to Nigerians. It’s a federal government structure or institution. So you cannot, at midnight, decide on who to give the airport to without declaring it open to all Nigerians”.

So we are demanding that they will cancel the concession process, advertise for the concession globally”

According to Nnabue this will ensure that all  interested parties will

bid for the concession.

“We have also requested that to cherry pick, the airport is not the best.

Because the rate value picked from one airport is used to better another airport”

Also addressing the workers, the President General of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) Comrade Alale Adedayo, condemned the way and manner

whole process of concession, was being executed by the minister without carrying them along despite his earlier promise to involve them in the process

Comrade Adedayo called for reversal of the concession process and make it to be transparent.

“Let t there be national dailies, advertisement,

then for good six months so that anybody that wants to bid will come, sit around the table with the staff and consider the staff welfare, the labor-related matters”

“Our members are not part of the committee, they dodged, they pushed outside, they did not even call us for any meeting again.

Before you know it, they rushed down to the FEC and get their approval” .

“We have been sidelined. I’m telling you, we have been sidelined” .

That just twice we attended, even if it was by force, that we get ourselves involved in that meeting.