Firm sacks staff over Asaba airport downgrade

The fear of the unknown has gripped workers at the budding Asaba International Airport.

This is no thanks to the downgrading of the airport by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority two weeks ago.

The development has compelled some of the engineering companies attached to the airport to start downsizing their staff, especially those employed from the state.

Since NCAA barred all Boeing 737s and jets of similar category from operating at the airport pending when the airport resolves the issues raised, with only Dash 8-Q 400 planes or their equivalent permitted, no fewer than four persons have received their sack letters.

The development, The Eagle Online gathered on Sunday in Asaba, sent panic across the spines of workers at the airport.

The airport was downgraded over alleged insensitivity of the Delta State Government to the directive the NCAA, which ordered rehabilitation of the existing runway, taxiways and the construction of perimeter fence as well as training of technical personnel.

Efforts by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, in a statement issued on May 6, 2015, through his Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, to allay the fears of the general public however fell on deaf ears as Nacho, a Lagos-based aviation engineering company, went ahead to sack four of its staff.

Those affected, The Eagle Online gathered, were recently employed by the company because Boeing aircrafts have started to ply the airport.

The company all the same transferred, with immediate effect, its staff out of the state, even as some were outrightly withdrawn back to the headquarters.

The fear at the airport on Sunday was not unconnected with the news of paucity of funds to effect the upgrade by the state government.

This is as a result of the shortfall in revenue accruable to the state from the Federation Account.

But Ogeah said the government of the state was vigorously processing the mobilization of the contractors and consultants for the job to commence in earnest.

He said: “Already, work on the perimeter fencing has commenced. However, there is additional acquisition of over 400 hectares of adjoining land which has increased the scope of work. This is done to boost security within the airport axis.”

Ogeah allayed the fears of the workers, maintaining: “Government has even employed 20 security guards to carry out routine surveillance of the airside.”

He promised that the airport would soon be upgraded to accommodate bigger jets again.