The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the protest staged by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday.
The protest was part of the labour unions’ response to the alleged assault on the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, by the Imo State government on Wednesday. The unions claimed that Ajaero was attacked by “police personnel” after a demonstration over “non-payment of salaries and pensions for 44 months and violation of other labour rights” in the state.
The protest at the airport road blocked the access to the airport and affected the activities of travellers and airlines. Keyamo, who was speaking at an aviation retreat in Warri, Delta State, on Thursday, appealed to the unions to leave the aviation sector alone and not to target the nation in trying to address their grievances.
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“Aviation was not involved at all. Nothing about the sector but their target is aviation; their retaliation is the sector. So, please I want to beg them: ‘Leave us alone’. Leave aviation alone. You cannot target aviation in trying to address your grievances,” he said.
Keyamo also warned that the protest could have negative implications for the image of the country and the economy. He said that the disruption of the airport operations could affect foreigners coming into Nigeria and ordinary Nigerians going about their normal businesses.
He added that he was a friend of the labour movement, but he urged them to refrain from politics and to resolve their issues peacefully. The labour unions have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike on November 14 if the Imo State government does not apologise and meet their demands.