Workers in the nation’s aviation sector are seeking an end to the 40 per cent contribution by agencies in the sector to the federation account.
According to them, the contribution, which they described as forceful , had put the agencies in dire straits and was impacting their performance.
In a letter dated June 19, 2023, addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the unions – National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) – said the Finance Act 2022, which was promulgated by the former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, contravened the new Acts of several of the aviation agencies, which stipulated that all revenue generated by the parastatals must be ploughed back into the sector for infrastructure and human growth.
The letter was jointly signed by Principal Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN; Comrade Frances Akinjole, General Secretary, NUATE; Comrade Ocheme Aba, General Secretary, ANAP; Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu; Deputy General Secretary, NAAPE, Comrade Umoh Ofonime and General Secretary, AUPCTRE, Comrade Sikiru Wahab.
The unions emphasized that the plea for the reversal of the 40 per cent compulsory contribution of the agencies to the federation account was predicated on the need to avert the imminent danger that may befall the aviation sector if the aviation agencies become incapacitated and unable to render their safety-related functions.
They argued that the full financial accruals of the agencies are grossly inadequate in meeting their financial obligations, hence supplementation by the Federal Government on an annual basis.
The unions added that the aviation agencies are “mere cost recovery organisations” and non-profit, emphasising that deduction of 40 per cent from their financial accruals was akin to the removal of life support from the parastatals.
“Based on the foregoing, we humbly request Your Excellency to exempt aviation agencies from the deduction to preserve the vital safety functions of the same agencies without which the industry will collapse with its catastrophic impact on the national economy,” the unions said.
The industry unions also called on President Tinubu to look into the staff Conditions of Service (CoS) of aviation agencies which they claimed have been operating without valid conditions for many years.
The unions stated that despite having concluded a management-unions review on the issue many years back, the National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission (NSIWC), Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Budget Office had continued to hold their members hostage.
