By Reborn Jude | National News
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has ordered the arrest and prosecution of a driver allegedly involved in the parking of an Air Peace bus on the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during a protest by aviation workers on Tuesday.
The incident occurred as aviation unions commenced picketing activities against Air Peace and other airlines over alleged non-remittance of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge payable to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other aviation agencies.
The unions involved include the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, with the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.
The unions had earlier issued a series of warnings to affected airlines, accusing some operators of failing to meet their statutory financial obligations and allegedly restricting workers from freely joining trade unions.
According to the unions, some employees were reluctant to identify with organised labour because of alleged fears of discrimination or victimisation.
However, an airport source said that during Tuesday’s picketing, a driver allegedly drove an Air Peace bus into the airside area and left it there in protest against the industrial action.
The source said officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria subsequently towed the vehicle away to restore unrestricted movement within the airside.
Confirming the development, NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, said the authority had directed that the driver be identified and arrested for prosecution.
Achimugu described the alleged action as a serious aviation safety concern, stressing that no individual should obstruct a runway.
He said the NCAA would investigate the incident and invoke the relevant provisions of the law against anyone found culpable.
However, Air Peace disputed the allegation that its vehicle blocked the runway.
The airline’s spokesperson, Efe Whiskey-Osifo, challenged the claim, insisting that the bus did not obstruct the runway.
The dispute came amid the unions’ wider industrial action against airlines over the alleged failure to remit the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, which is intended to support aviation agencies.
The picketing temporarily disrupted flight operations at some airports before affected airlines began taking steps to restore normal services.
