Unions in the aviation industry say the appointments of those they describe as ‘outsiders’ for positions meant for career civil servants is not good for the industry.
Members of the unions who staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Federal airports authority of Nigeria FAAN, today barely a week after the appointment of three directors and a General Manager, FAAN, said development like this will dampen the morale of staff.
The unions are, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE.
Speaking during the protest, president of ATSSSAN, Mr Ilitrus Ahmadu said the situation was unfortunate adding , the outsiders are green horns who knows next to nothing about the industry compared to the career civil servants who are well vast and qualified for these positions and never given the opportunity to challenge those coming in from outside for such positions via written tests.
General secretary of NUATE, Mr Olayinka Abioye said the minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has not kept to his promise as had earlier assured the unions that outsiders would not be given positions meant for career civil servants in the sector.
His counterpart in NAAPE, Mr Aba Ocheme noted that the appointments of outsiders was demoralising for workers who had put in many years only to be denied their legitimate aspirations.
The unions have vowed that attention is being given to recent political appointments made in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB as they will make their position know later on these appointments.