Aviation unions call for review of new NCAA organogram

…As NAMA boss warns against frivolous expenditure

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Aviation unions, comprising National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have called for a review of the recently approved Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) organogram.

According to the four unions, they have rejected the newly approved organogram for the NCAA because the newly approved organogram is completely at variance with the product of the consultation that held with the Ministerial Team that came to Lagos to discuss the expanded organogram submitted by the NCAA for approval sometime in 2018.

While pointing out that the current NCAA organogram has been in existence since the year 2000 without any review, the unions noted that NCAA has grown significantly in staff strength and size of operation over the years, such that outside the operational headquarters in Lagos, it operates four regional offices in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Port Harcourt.

In an official letter addressed to the Honourable Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika dated 29th April 2019 and jointly signed by Secretary General, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba; Deputy General Secretary, ATSSSAN, Comrade Frances Akinjole;

Secretary General, ANAP, Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu and Deputy General Secretary, NAAPE, Comrade Umoh Ofonime, the unions stated that NCAA’s expanded operations with attendant staff expansion created a situation during the promotion exercise of 2017 whereby eligible staff who sat for and passed the examinations could not be obliged due to the absence of vacancies.

Noting that NCAA has a presence in all the active domestic airports in Nigeria with a compliment of over 1, 200 workforces, the unions emphasised that, it is very necessary to review the organogram to take into account the expanded size of the organization, both in terms of operations and staff strength.

Making demands from the Minister, the unions urged the federal government to suspend the implementation of the organogram until all issues raised are resolved.

The aviation unions also demanded that the Minister considers another committee to immediately review the recently approved NCAA organogram as the document certainly does not represent the outcome of the consultation and agreement reached between the Ministerial Committee and all stakeholders in the meeting that held last year in NCAA boardroom in Lagos.

The unions further stated that all offices of General Manager, Deputy General Managers and Assistant General Managers currently existing and manned in NCAA must be recognised in the reviewed organogram.

Advising that the Cabin Safety and Ground Operations Inspectors be allowed to rise within the system to GL16 as agreed during a previous meeting, the unions also urged the Honourable Minister to immediately constitute the Governing Board for the NCAA and do away with this kind of meddlesomeness on the part of the Ministry, particularly in view of the serious infractions committed against Sections 5 and 6, 7 (a) and 28 (1)-(3) of the Civil Aviation Act.

The unions, however, informed that they have met with the DG of NCAA, Capt. Usman Muhtar and have communicated their strong and unreserved objection to the implementation of the new organogram based on the reasons they have highlighted.

According to the union, “we cannot but refer to a very interesting and disturbing case of Cabin Crew and Ground Operations Inspectors whose case moved the Ministerial Team into questioning the reason why they could not rise to GGL 17 since most of them are graduates.

On this case, the consensus was that they are allowed to enjoy promotion up to GL 16 from their current bar at GL 14”.

“Again, the issue of the ability of the NCAA to fund the expanded organogram was also discussed extensively and the Authority made a presentation on how it planned to fund the implementation from its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) upon approval”

“Hon Minister, we must state that the approved organogram is in clear violation of Section 30 (7) (a) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 which clearly lists the structure of the NCAA for purposes of administration and performance of its functions.

We are convinced that the National Assembly intended it to be so when they listed the directorates under the referenced section of the Act”.

“The second issue with the approved document has to do with its deviation from the core reason for which the exercise was conducted.

Rather, than address the grievances and the vacancy issues that arose from the 20017 promotion exercise, the approved organogram further compounded the situation by constricting and eliminating already existing and manned positions across the various directorates in NCAA.

We are at a loss how anyone would contemplate such anomaly”, the unions’ letter read.