• Workers stranded, airlines cancel flights • CSO demands Ajaero’s suspension, investigation by DSS
From Uche Usim, Fred Ezeh, Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Thousands of passengers were stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Thursday morning as aviation unions grounded the terminal.
Also impacted were airlines, airport workers and other stakeholders who were disorganized as losses mounted from man hour losses.
The development came as a rude shock to many who thought the aviation unions were bluffing when they issued an earlier warning of their plans to block flights to Owerri airport from any part of the country.
As early as 8am, the protesting labour unions had blocked the entrance and exit points of the Abuja airport in solidarity with the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who was attacked in Owerri recently by louts allegedly loyal to the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
Airport workers, air travelers and other airport users had a hellish experience accessing the Abuja airport as the unions did not budge.
Early bird flights of Air Peace, Overland Airways, Dana Air and a host of others were either rescheduled or cancelled outright due to paucity of passengers.
Those who were able to access the airport before the roads were barricaded could still not fly due to low passenger volume.
The airport workers particularly withdrew services to Owerri Airport as directed by the National Executive Council of the NLC.
Air Peace notified its customers and the flying public that due to the industrial action being embarked upon in Imo State by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, its Lagos-Owerri 12:00hrs; Owerri-Abuja 13:40hrs; Abuja-Owerri 15:20hrs and Owerri-Lagos 17:00hrs services were cancelled.
The development forced passengers to reschedule their flights for another day.
Dana, Overland Airways, Arik and other carriers suffered the same fate as passengers who booked their services could not make it to the airport on time due to the protest.
The unions kept the airport on lockdown till noon when airport users could freely move in and out of the facility.
At domestic airlines’ counters, passengers were seen struggling to reschedule their tickets just as those who had checked in had to wait for hours before their flights could depart.
The Organised Labour had said it would take over access to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja as part of its protest against the government of Imo State.
Imo grounded
Like Abuja, aviation services was also distrupted at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri.
On Wednesday night, members of the union barricaded the runway and tarmac and prevented flight operations from Abuja and Lagos to Owerri.
The action left many passengers stranded, especially Lagos and Abuja bound travellers.
One of the passengers who narrated his plight thus: “I arrived here early this morning to go back to Lagos only to be confronted with this story of flight interruption. I have already said bye bye to the people I left behind, now I’m at a crossroads. I have a meeting to attend tomorrow (Friday) in Lagos but I can’t attend again. I learnt this strike will last till after the Imo election.”
Background
General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, who described Wednesday’s strike in Imo as fairly successful in a phone interview with Daily Sun, said labour would not rest until the international community investigates Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Aviation unions had directed their workers to withdraw services to all Owerri flights from all airports in Nigeria in line with the directive from organised labour.
The statement was issued by the National Union Of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots And Engineers (NAAPE).
Labour has also directed public and private workers all over the federation to withdraw their services by Midnight of Tuesday, November 14, if their demands were still unmet.
The action by the Organised Labour followed the brutalisation of NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, last week in Imo State.
The leadership of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), reached the resolution after a joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
The labour centres had given some conditions for calling of the strike which included, investigation and deployment of the Commissioner of Police in Imo; sack of the Area Commander of the Police and all other Officers and Men in Owerri through whom the Police Commissioner supervised the the attack; as well as the arrest and immediate prosecution of Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, aid to Uzodimma.
They also asked for an immediate, independent and unbiased thorough professional medical examination of all victims of the attack; immediate restoration of all properties lost and urgent implementation of all the outstanding Industrial Relations agreements previously entered with the state government.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at the weekend, redeployed Barde for what he tagged “neutrality sake” ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.
Group demands Ajaero’s probe by DSS
Miffed by the mass action, a civil society organisation (CSO), Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch, has tasked the NLC to carry out some urgent self-check and assessment of its members that would, perhaps, herald changes particularly at leadership level.
It accused NLC leadership, particularly, Ajaero, of being partisan in his recent approach to labour related issues in the country particularly in the events of the last one week that has nearly snowballed into a breakdown of law and order in Imo State.
Executive Director of the Group, Splendour Agbonkpolor, who addressed journalists in Abuja, suggested that Ajaero should be immediately suspended by NLC and investigated by the Police, DSS and other security agencies.
He said: “Let it be on record that Comrade Ajaero-led NLC has become a political arm of the Labour Party ready to blackmail, arm-twist and rain puerile machinations to disrupt the forthcoming democratic election in Imo State.
“Ajaero has no right to stop the good people of Imo State from exercising their franchise, which is their inalienable right under democratic governance. Ajaero, in connivance with his ‘shenanigans’ are ready to dance the macabre dance and their aim is to blackmail the government and score cheap political points.
“We, hereby, urge the NLC to purge herself from partisanship as labour unions are the last resort of the common man. It is time the union suspend Ajaero in order to restore the confidence of ordinary Nigerians who see labour unionism as a struggle for the enforcement of workers’ rights and entitlement.”
Imo has lost N500bn
The Imo Patriots League (IPL) has expressed concern over the continued industrial action.
Convener of the group, Jones Onwuasoanya told newsmen that the blackout as a result of the strike has cost the state a total of N500 billion.
According to him, the state mostly known for its tourism industries has resorted to using fuels to run its hotels.
“In the last seven days, Imo State has lost over N500 billion due to Comrade Joe Ajaero’s imposed blackout on Imo people.
“Small scale business owners are rapidly going out of business due to high cost of running their businesses, hotel owners are being stifled, students are left desperate in search of sources of illumination to study their books, civil servants have had their basic budgets strained because they are not able to preserve their food.
“ Everyone and every sector in Imo State is adversely affected by the ongoing Ajaero imposed blackout on our dear State. And we ask; “Is the labour union now against or for the people?”
He described the strike as a personal vendetta which he noted would plunge the state into serious economic hardship.
He accused the NLC President of conniving with the opposition parties to frustrate the efforts of the present government.
“The fundamental responsibility of a labour union and by effect , a labour leader, is to fight for the improved welfare of the masses. Unfortunately, under the Joe Ajaero-led NLC, we are seeing a different side of labour unionism which prioritises individual and clique political interests and aspirations ahead of the people’s interest.”