Today, a major disruption unfolded at airports across the country, leaving countless travelers stranded.
Aviation union members took a bold stance by blocking all entry and exit points of these airports.
This protest action was initiated in response to a directive from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
The directive urged aviation unions to cease their services on all flights to and from Owerri, commencing at midnight today.
The reason for this protest stemmed from the reported mistreatment of NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Owerri. Allegedly, this mistreatment was orchestrated by thugs associated with the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma.
At the domestic wings of Lagos airports, affiliate unions of the NLC and TUC, such as the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Aircraft Pilots & Engineers (NAAPE), and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical & Recreational Services Employees, stationed their members at various counters meant for Owerri-bound passengers, effectively halting boarding activities.
Passengers on Owerri-bound flights landing at terminals One and Two found themselves barred from proceeding on their return journeys.
Regrettably, this union action impacted other flights and vehicular traffic in and out of the airports.
Despite the disruptions, security agencies were on hand to maintain order within the terminals, and the union members conducted themselves peacefully.
In an interview, Comrade AbdulRazak Saidu, the Secretary General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), expressed satisfaction with the unions’ actions, stating that activities at Abuja airport had come to a standstill.
Furthermore, in a joint statement, the unions vowed to leverage their international connections to globally blacklist Hope Uzodimma.
On Wednesday, all aviation workers at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri were instructed to stay home, also starting from midnight on that day, following the directives of the NLC and TUC.
Reacting to the situation, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Mr Festus Keyamo appealed to the Labour unions to desist from politics in the name of Labour movement.
While he totally condemned the manhandling of the Labour president in an incident in Imo state, he is of the opinion that the aviation sector should not be the target because of its economic importance of the development of the great nation.