Trouble looms in NAMA over operational vehicles

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

 Trouble is brewing between the Management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) over what the engineers call ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.

Investigations by this correspondent revealed that the recent death of an air traffic controller at the Abuja Airport few days ago sparked off agitations from the ATCs which led to the declaration of a two day warning strike across the five international airports in the country.

But in a swift reaction, the Management of NAMA called for a meeting where peace was brokered and the controllers called off the warning strike.

NATCA, before the agreement was reached between them and NAMA management presented their demands which they compelled NAMA management to meet in a fortnight failure will lead to total down tools.

In a bid to save self from international embarrassment, NAMA management succumbed to one of the controllers demand of providing a vehicle for air traffic controllers in Abuja because it was learnt that at the time the late controller slumped, there was no single vehicle attached to the tower to rush the victim to the hospital.

Giving controllers operational vehicle at the tower investigation revealed is a welcome development but air traffic engineers are crying out over the manner the vehicle was ‘hijacked’.

Anonymous engineer in the system, who narrated the genesis of the vehicle in NAMA, said it was robbing Peter to pay Paul as the vehicle in question belonged to a special engineering project being financed by the Federal Executive Council.

The source said in as much as they were in solidarity with NATCA over their demands, it was totally wrong by the Management of NAMA to divert a vehicle that came as a package with a project in the agency

“It is a total package and it came with the project and cannot be detached from the project and divert it to air traffic controllers.

Mobile tower came with three vehicles and the management held them back but decided to move one to NATCA,” the source said.

It was further gathered that one of the vehicles was also diverted to procurement; a department the source said was never in need of such vehicle.

According to sources close to NAAE, nobody is against given vehicle to NATCA but it must serve the purpose meant for.

The sources warned that should management fail to address the engineers’ challenges that they will embark on mother of all strike to paralyse the agency and Airspace by switching off its equipment

A top management staff of the Agency, who pleaded anonymous, told our correspondent that he was not aware of the development.