Aviation Unions Demand Removal of Customs Area Comptroller Over Assault on FAAN Official
Three major aviation unions have issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding the immediate redeployment of the Customs Area Controller in charge of the Pilgrims and Cargo Terminal (PCT) at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, alongside all customs officers involved in the alleged assault on the Director of Aviation Security Services.
The unions – the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) – made their position known in a joint statement signed by Comrade Ogbe John (ATSSSAN Branch Secretary), Comrade Agbor John D. (NUATE Lagos Branch Secretary), and Comrade Emmanuel Okon (ANAP Branch Secretary).
They strongly condemned what they described as the latest instance of aggression by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) against personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), particularly the assault on the high-ranking security officer at the nation’s busiest airport.
The unions called on the federal government to immediately clarify the roles and operational boundaries of customs officers in bonded warehouses within the civil aviation sector.
They also demanded a significant reduction in the number of customs personnel stationed at airports, aligning with global best practices.
Furthermore, they urged the FAAN management to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with all paramilitary agencies operating at airports to clearly define their responsibilities and prevent further incidents of harassment and undue interference.
In a stern warning, the unions declared that failure to address their demands within 14 days could result in industrial action that may disrupt airport operations.
“The attention of aviation unions in FAAN has been drawn to yet another assault on the personnel of the organisation by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). This time, it involved a high-level officer, the Director of Aviation Security Services, at Murtala Muhammed Airport,” the statement read.
The unions insisted that such incidents must not be allowed to continue, stressing that the safety and dignity of aviation workers must be upheld.
As the ultimatum countdown begins, all eyes are on the FAAN management and the federal government to see how they will respond to the escalating tension within the nation’s aviation sector.
