VAM News Update
Aviation unions in Nigeria have announced the suspension of all flights to Owerri, the capital of Imo State, in response to the recent brutal attack on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, in the state capital.
The decision was jointly made by the National Union Of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers (NAAPE).
In a statement issued by the General-Secretaries of the unions, the groups declared the withdrawal of all services to Owerri flights (both arrivals and departures) from any airport in Nigeria, effective from midnight on November 8, 2023.
The unions, affiliated with the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), cited the “mayhem unleashed on workers” by the Imo State Government under Governor Hope Uzodimma as the reason for their action.
The statement also banned Governor Uzodimma from all airports in Nigeria, labeling him as “persona non grata” until he rectifies his alleged “bestial tendencies.”
The unions further pledged to use their international affiliations to blacklist the governor on a global scale.
Furthermore, aviation workers at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri have been directed to stay home from midnight, in accordance with the directives from the NLC and TUC. State Councils and branches of the unions are scheduled to meet in Lagos and Abuja at 5 pm to finalise the modalities for implementing the directive.
The strike action will remain indefinite until new instructions are received from the NLC and TUC.
