CHUKS OKOH
Members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) one of the vibrant unions in the aviation sectors before now, is set for a showdown with its national executives over plans to shift its delegates conference /election.
The election which ought to have been scheduled for next month October, investigations revealed, is being planned to take place next year against the wish of ATSSSAN members.
This has continued to generate anxiety and apprehension of the possibility of the out going President of the Union, Comrade Ahmadu Illitrus to conduct elections for the national positions.
According to members, there is nothing concrete on ground to show that the President is ready for election with less than two weeks to the end of the current tenure of the Executives.
Some members have accused the national president of buying time and not willing to relinquish power by conducting election to allow new national executives sworn in
According to sources close to ATSSSAN, plans for the delegates conference was scheduled to hold in Jos, Plateau state, but has been stalled by lack of funds as some members criticised the choice of Jos due to inadequate flight operations, distance and recent insecurity recorded in the state.
Three contestants are currently running for the office of the President of ATSSSAN without knowing when, where and how the polls will be conducted
Some are calling for elections to be held in Lagos or neighbouring states with the little available funds than to shift the electon.
According to them, there was enough time for the executives to plan for the election before now if they do not have ulterior motives.
Some union members alleged that the president had erred by not calling for the National Administrative Council meeting to discuss issues affecting the unions on time.
There is apprehension in the union as a result of impeding crisis over possible manipulations and inability of the current national executives to communicate with members on their delegates conference billed for October 2025
Investigations carried out by our Aviation Editor revealed, that the union is in disarray as nothing was on ground to show that the election was to conducted in less than 30 days.
Some delegates are worried that the current executives led by Barrister Ahmadu Illitrus are not ready to leave the stage by organising a befitting, free, fare and transparent election to hand over power after eight years of saddled with the responsibility of ATSSSAN.
Anonymous sources who spoke with our correspondent condemned the leadership style of the out going President of the union over the state of the ATSSSAN which has led to mistrust among the executives
But in a recent telephone interview with the President of ATSSSAN, Comrade Ilitrus, on happenings in the union, he said election will be coming up in October as the last delegates conference was held in October four years ago.
According to Ilitrus, “In the history of ATSSSAN, when we are planning elections it doesn’t take us one month to plan. I ve told them that election will be conducted this year and the only thing that will stand between us and the election is when we don’t have money”
“For the record, in the history of ATSSSAN, no president has planned the way I ve planned, even my predecessor didn’t do what I have done. ATSSSAN never had any savings anywhere. As I speak to you, I have money in savings, I have been saving money towards the election. All we need to do is to have a meeting which am already planing to do, NAC meeting”
Ilitrus said physical NAC meeting will deplete the purse of the union adding, that online NAC meeting will be called to discuss and formally inaugurate the planning committee to commence their work
He queried why members were preemptive saying,.that it was the usual happenings towards to run off.
More information concerning the ATSSSAN delegates conference are expected to be unfolded
