The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to refrain from disrupting flight operations in the country.
According to Keyamo, the disruption of flight operations would affect both foreigners and locals and paint the country in a bad light.
He gave the warning on Thursday at the Ministerial Retreat of the Ministry in Effurun, Uvwie local government area of Delta State. The Aviation Minister however, noted that members of the sector were not involved in the saga which resulted in the recent beating of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), President, Joe Ajaero in Imo State.
He added that the Labour Movement must resist the urge to destroy themselves on the platform of politics because there is a difference between the Labour Movement and the Labour Party (LP) and stakeholders must learn to distinguish between labour activities and political activities.
While condemning the manhandling of Ajaero in Imo, Keyamo appealed to the labour leaders not to mix up politics with the labour movement as what is currently happening is pure politics and not a fight for workers.
“Aviation was not involved in the alleged molestation of the labour leader. Please, leave aviation alone. In targeting aviation, it affects both foreigners. They are disrupting the entire country. They are my friends, I have been part of them.
“Do not allow the Labour Party to destroy the labour movement. Call your leaders together. In other climes where these happen, the Labour movement are the owner of the party, here they don’t own the party. The Labour movement cannot be hirelings of the Labour Party.
This is my appeal to them, do not destroy yourselves on the platform of politics. They should not target aviation and please not bring politics to aviation. What they are doing is politics, not labour movement. It is not fight for the workers. It’s politics.
“I condemn what happened to my friend, Ajaero. But in the same breath, you should not find yourself in such place,” Keyamo said.
The submission from the Minister follows earlier reports by Naija News that members of the Organised Labour on Thursday, blocked both the entry and exit ways of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to protest the assault of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
The protesters attempted to enter the airport but were stopped at the checkpoint by the military and other security agencies.
Not willing to back down, the protesters blocked the airport’s entry and exit points, causing heavy vehicle traffic on both sides. Also, travellers were forced to start making their way into the airport on foot.
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