- Photo caption: National President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Ahmadu Ilitrus
…Says Policy Will Affect Operations, Infrastructure Development
…As Unions Meet On Matter Next Week
The National President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Ahmadu Ilitrus has called on the Federal Government to reconsider its decision imposing 50 per cent deduction from some of the aviation agencies’ Internally Revenue Generation (IGR) as this may deny the industry the needed infrastructure and threaten aviation safety
This just as he stated that the policy is not good for the industry , adding that aviation is a very sensitive industry and that it should be treated as such .
He informed that the Generals-Secretary of the various unions in the aviation industry will be meeting next week in Lagos to deliberate on the next line of action on the matter.
The ATSSSAN boss said this today at the National Executive Council (NEC) 2024 meeting with the theme, “Challenges of Labour Unions in a Depressed Economy : Nigerian Aviation Sector in View” in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
ATSSSAN warned that the aviation unions may be compelled to embark on an industrial action to force the Federal Government to remove the agencies from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
Recall that the Federal Government introduced TSA on October 15, 2022 and commenced with 25 per cent deductions from all revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government, including four agencies in the sector.
The Federal Government later after a few months in operation increased it to 40 per cent.
The President Bola Tinubu led administration in January 2024, increased the deductions to 50 per cent.
This deduction, he said, will affect the operations of the aviation agencies.
He listed the four aviation agencies affected by the TSA policy; to include: the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).
Illitrus contended that the agencies were not revenue generating organisations, wondering why they were treated as such .
He added that besides affecting the operations of the agencies , it may also affect the forthcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) security audit.
The deduction by the Federal Government of 50 per cent of the agencies’ funds was against the ICAO Document 1982 on charges and cost recovery.
The document, the ATSSSAN National President said specified that charges imposed on organisations in the sector should be to recover costs, not necessarily to make profit, stressing that the agencies have been following this document to the letter.
“This issue to me is an existential one in the industry. We have been on this matter and have written several letters in the past to the government, explaining why the aviation agencies should be removed from the remittance of their IGRs under the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Our reasons are very clear. In aviation, what we do as government agencies, we don’t make profit per sey, we charge for services.
“We took this issue with the outgone minister, Sen. Hadi Sirika and the moment Mr. Festus Keyamo was appointed as the new minister for the sector, we tabled this matter before him and in our interactions, he gave us his words that something was going to be done about it.
“As I speak to you, the implementation of that 50 per cent has commenced and the agencies are groaning because of the dire resources. Worst of it all is that their accounts were blocked and another TSA account was opened for them. They were unable to access funds to service their various operations. Agencies like NAMA, NCAA, NCAT. Even where students’ school fees go into, which include feeding money, the 50 per cent is deducted.
“The Generals-Secretary of the various unions would meet in Lagos in the next one week to consider positions for the consideration of the various unions. We hope that in the next one week, we should be able to take a position to communicate to the government and if nothing is done, we may be forced to embark on a protest in the future. The decision will be made in the next one week.”
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