Top aviation sources have revealed to NaijaGistReporters that Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was deliberately holding on to workers' salaries and allowances during a bid to boost enough money to contest subsequent governorship election in Katsina State.
It was also gathered that the minister during a bid to boost funds needed to understand his ambition, was doing all he can to sell the country's airports.
He is said to be working hard to prove that government could not manage the facilities with great care he can auction them off and lift some money for his governorship ambition.
He is said to be keen on selling the four major airports in Nigeria -- Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
Sirika has also been accused of using his cronies to go agencies like Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, National Airport Management Authority, Accident Investigation Bureau, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The minister is believed to be raising money illicitly through these agencies to satisfy his governorship ambition in Katsina State.
Despite owing salaries, the minister has just recruited 280 more staff into FAAN, who are all from the Northern a part of the country, it had been gathered.
About 26 of them are posted to Lagos international airport and have started documentation without taking any tests as normal employment procedure demands.
Angered by this and other issues affecting their welfare, aviation workers under the platforms of National Union Of air transportation Employees, air transportation Services Senior Staff Association Of Nigeria, And Association Of Nigeria Aviation Professional, during a letter addressed to the director and Chief military officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, said that they might start immediate strike action if their demands weren't met.
"Due to continuing unilateral actions by the management of FAAN leading to ever increasing delays and staggering of salaries payments which has become unbearable, our unions have decided that things can not be tolerated thanks to the uncontrollable damage to workers welfare and smooth operation of FAAN.
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"Accordingly, management is hereby notified that if within seven days from the date of the notice all shortfalls in salary payments aren't fully rectified and settled, our unions will commence an indefinite industrial action against the authority," the letter partly reads.
NaijaGistReporters
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