By Chuks Okoh
One of the aviation unions in Nigeria may be heading for a showdown with the Aviation Minister ,Chief Ostia Chidoka over appointment of directors at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN.
The union, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN has kicked against the recent appointment of director of Commercial who was the General Manager of Commercial for 8 years and was allowed to go in accordance with civil service for grade levels 17 and above, having spent 8 years in a particular position.
The union has sought to know why the next officer in the system was not promoted to the office ad wondered why appoint an officer who has spent the mandatory 8 years and second term as against Civil service rules and was brought back for a higher position.
It has been alleged that the new director of finance is the minister’s business associate , a development described as a conflict of interest which negates the civil service rules without following due process of advertising the position.
The unions have all along been kicking against catapulting people from outside to aviation parastatals but to elevate those officers in the system to encourage growth of civil service.
ATSSSAN in a petition to the head of service of the federation on what they called the unhealthy appointments of the directors finance and commercial in FAAN dated 23rd March 2015 and signed by Omotaje Olawale for general secretary of ATSSSAN said the director may not be able to discharge his duties without fear or favour as he will have to contend with conflict of interest because of his ownership status as a board member of consumer investment company limited belonging to the aviation minister Osita Chidoka.
According to ATSSSAN, the director of Commercial has served the requisite eight years permissible by extant public services rules of two ( four years) tenures for officers on Grade level 17, adding that he should have left or be relieved of his post on completion of the mandatory term of tenure.
The union said there was no provision for either an extension or movement, warning that his present appointment was a cannibalisation of due process.
