Austerity? Nigerian Government Begins Mass Sack Of Civil Servants

It is no longer news the downward slide in oil sales will be affecting the Nigerian government, but the recent moves by government is yet to be ascertained if the economic crisis can be linked to the mass sack embarked upon by Nigeria’s Aviation Ministry.

Over 187 staffers of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have been sacked and two directors have been suspended .

The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka is expected to submit a final outcome of the audit report he constituted which will likely merge the agencies and that report has gripped staff of the various agencies’ with fear of more sack, according to reports.

The ministry’s agencies are: the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), NCAA, Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) the Nigeria College Aviation Technology (NCAT) and the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB).

A senior official of one of the agencies, who spoke under anonymity with THISDAY on telephone on Saturday said the palpable fear gripping the agency is becoming obvious, adding that there is visible fear at the agency as staff are even afraid of going on their annual leave to enable them keep an eye on emerging wind of sack at the ministry.

He said the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ministry and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has created more fears within the industry, adding that the news going round is that all the agencies have been directed to shed weight.

The Federal Government had concluded plans to merge three aviation agencies; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency( NIMET) to form a new body known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority(FCAA), despite condemnations and criticisms that trailed the move when it was first mooted.

NewsWireNGR recalled that the Steve Oronsaye- led Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies had recommended to the Federal Government to merge NCAA, NAMA and NIMET to form a new body, FCAA.

The Federal Government had on April 7, 2014, announced the acceptance of the committee’s recommendations on the merger.

Indication that the Federal government is bent on merging these agencies is contained in a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with the reference number SGF/12/S.II/C.9/42, dated 14th July, 2014 to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation and made available to the journalists, directed the affected agencies to send a progress report on the proposed merger to the government on or before Monday, July 21, 2014.

If government is to go ahead with the merger which is now linked to fall in oil prices which the Nigerian economy is dependent upon, then most workers will have to be sacked to allow for fewer employees.

More government agencies will also be affected according to a source in the Aviation Ministry who confirmed the decision by government, in a bid to manage the wage bill in the coming months.