CHUKS OKOH
The Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has condemned the lukewarm attitude of the management of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) over the plights of workers in the organisation by nor heeding to the demand of the aviation unions
In an exclusive interview with the General Secretary of ANAP, Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu, the unions are out for NiMet and will ensure that necessary action was taken against NiMet
Saidu condemned the non training and payment of staff by the agency as regrettable, querying the proceeds from the internally generated revenue from other sectors being collected by NiMet
“IGR they are seeing from Agric, Marine, waterways and aviation, what are they doing with them. You don’t pay salaries, IPPIS pays salaries of staff”
Saidu said there will loggerheads with NiMet over the issue adding that the agency was capable of paying workers salaries.
He challenged the NiMet management to declare their IGR adding that there was no proper account of the IGR.
Meanwhile, three aviation unions have earlier written to the management of NiMet on the poor handling of the issue of Condition of Service (CoS), 2019 minimum wage payment and the continuous staff training, among other demands for the agency’s workers.
The unions; National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), through a letter dated April 10, 2025 and jointly signed by their Generals-Secretary, accused the NiMet management of reneging on their earlier agreement with the unions.
The Generals-Secretary were Comrades Ocheme Aba, NUATE; Abdul Rasaq Saidu, ANAP and Sikiru Waheed.
According to the unions, the management had failed to implement any of the agreements it reached with the workers on January 28, 2025, adding that the management had also failed to negotiate with the unions on the issues raised.
The unions confirmed that the management had forwarded to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development for processing, but suspected foul play, alleging that despite persistent requests, the management had refused to release copies of the document due to the unions as signatories to the same document.
The unions gave the Nimet’s management till Wednesday, April 16, 2025 to implement all aspects of the agreement, warning that failure to assent to the demands would lead to strike without further notice.
The management of NiMet on the other hand declared that they were issues that needed the interventions of other government agencies, stressing that most of the cases were awaiting responses or approvals.
