…..NAMA Mgt. Commends decision
The Management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has commended the decision of the four unions in the agency to work and bear all logistics and commitment that may be associated with the lockdown order by President Muhammad Buhari.
In a letter of Appreciation dated 30th March, 2020 and signed by the Director, Human Resources and Admin, Maira l. Bashir and copied to all branch chairmen and Professional Adsociations namely ATSSSAN, NUATE, ANAP, AUPCTRE, NACAN, NAAE, NATCA and AIMAN, the second paragraph of the letter read, ” We are in no doubt that this sacrifice will forever remain green in the effort to contain and eradicate the spread of coronavirus disease in Nigeria and the entire human race.”
“In view of the Federal Government directive to lockdown Lagos, Ogun and the FCT as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, effective 2300hrs, Monday 30th March, 2020 for 14 days in the first instance, I write to acknowledge and commend your decision to work and bear all logistics commitment that may be associated with the lockdown order.”
Investigation revealed that the decision to work and bear all logistics during the lockdown was alleged to have been taken and a letter written and signed to that effect by the unions and Associations mentioned above which the management of NAMA says is highly appreciated.
Before now, the management was said to have been making arrangements to provide palliatives for those who would be on duty during the initial lockdown but the alleged letter by the unions to bear all cost got to the management and the arrangements to cater to the needs of the essential staff that would be on duty was jettisoned by the management.
However, there is a twist to this story as some unions alleged to have been involved in the meeting were the decision was taken to bear the cost of the lockdown have denied ever acceding to the decision they alleged was hatched and executed by some management staff and professional associations in the agency.
Reacting to this development, Secretary General, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals ANAP, Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu frowned at the decision of the unions to the management of NAMA.
Saidu said it was at times like this that people know those unions that have the interest of workers at heart when agencies are encouraging its workers on essential duty.
According to him, ANAP National was not carried along and was unaware of any meeting and will continue to fight against injustice in the aviation sector and urged workers not to relent in their struggle as the union was there to protect them.
President of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association NATCA, Abayomi Agoro, when contacted admitted to be part and parcel of the decision taken with some of the unions.Agoro whose members are the key essential staff, stated he can only speak for his union gave reasons why he and his excos agreed.
According to Agoro “at the beginning of this covid-19 pandemic, I addressed some of our people that the situation is very difficult and that the world is running around to see what they can do to help one another out of the situation and we are not to exploit this situation and I asked my people to disengage from asking for anything from NAMA other than the agency paying us our salaries, this is the position my association exco too which we sent to our union.”
He emphasized that though FAAN was giving palliatives to its staff, the situation in NAMA was not the same as in FAAN adding that he was aware of what was going on in FAAN stressing that at the end of the day NAMA Management will tell workers that the agency was broke as a result of the palliative to essential workers during the lockdown.
“When our union got to the meeting, they expressed that and some other unions said, good. The situation in NAMA and FAAN are not the same and again, let me also tell you, we don’t want a situation when we ask for one, they bring 20, they give us one and share the remaining and at the end of the day to pay salaries issue will start emanating. So, we quickly said let our people stay out of it, all NAMA needs to do is to pay us our salaries, how they pay it is none of our business”.
“We don’t want a situation where people at the end say, they have been coming collecting palliatives, when people come to us we give them N1,000, N2,000 and at the end of the month you cook up some figures and say this is what you have spend and will not be able to pay, so we have stayed out of it. I know what is going on in FAAN, FAAN and NAMA”.
Agoro explained that they only requested for protective equipment, hand sanitizers, gloves and mask which the management was providing them “We have ask for that and they are bring them, facemasks, hand gloves,we have discussed that even with the MD of NAMA, on Friday they gave some masks and am sure today they will bring more, if it is inadequate they will bring more”.
Asked if he was afraid that that the NAMA Management will not be able to meet up with salaries as a result of palliatives, Agoro said “That is one, two, if you look at what is going on even government is not making the money, you can see the economy is running down, so anyone is looking for ways to make money and hide under the issue that he wants to give staff palliatives that is not our priority, our Priority is that we want to discharge our duty if that is what we can use to contribute, NAMA should also endeavour to pay us our salaries”.
He said one of the unions in NAMA was not happy with the rejection of palliatives from the management because they were not consulted before the decision was taken saying he was not answerable to them.
“I will only speak for my association and my union. In NAMA we have four unions, I heard that one of the unions was making some derogatory statement that they were not consulted and am not answerable to that union and I responded by saying that anything they want to say, they should put it in black and white but some other unions said there is no need”.
But a top management official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said it was the unions and professional bodies in NAMA that agreed on March 30,2020 that no palliatives should be given but that only sanitizers, hand gloves, protective equipments.
The source said it will be unfair for any Associations or unions to say that they were not carried along during the process.
The decision to give palliatives either in form of food, money or other things has not gone down well with some of the essential staff in the front line of ensuring seamless landings and take offs of essential flights given approval for operations.
Speaking on the ground of anonymity, some staff of NAMA who complained bitterly about the treatment said it is unfair for the union to have advised the management not to give those on essential duty palliatives especially with special flights coming into the country during this lockdown.
One of them pointed at the non functioning lift at the airport and said” you see, this lift has not worked since the lockdown and we are made to climb the steps to our offices. See how lonely this place is, one can’t even get good to buy unless you come with your food”.
One of the union leader, alleged that the unions were being manipulated by a Deputy General Manager in NAMA to short change those on essential duties, arguing how much the palliatives will cost an organization like NAMA.
One of the unions has vowed to take up the issue with the Management of the Agency after Covid-19 saying that the development was unhealthy in terms of welfare of staff.
Management of some agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET and the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB have deemed it fit and human to provide palliatives in form of cooked food and other raw essential commodities to cushion the effect of the pandemic for those who have found themselves in the category of essential workers.
