Addressing Aviation Agencies Debt Burden

Addressing Aviation Agencies Debt Burden By AbdulRasaq Saidu It has become absolutely necessary to call attention to the urgent need to redress the growing crisis of inter-agencies debts on the one hand, and the huge debts owed the agencies by various airlines and other aviation companies on the other hand. These huge stockpiles of debts which have grown into hundreds of billions of Naira when combined have begun to ascend dangerously into turbulent weather whereby the capacity of the agencies to deliver their direly required functions is becoming severely impaired, including already failed ability to pay their workers. It is in the public domain that industrial crisis has been threatened in NCAA, NAMA and NiMet owing to inability of the organisations to meet staff obligations due to growing debts owed them. The same is reveling up in other agencies.It is also on record that the agencies are presently putting off their safety-critical staff trainings due to the financial crunch created by the debts stockpile. Even safety inspection is being seriously impaired by the crisis.An industry shutdown is staring us directly in the face. Unfortunately, the airlines which are the industries beast of burden or goose that lays the golden egg (whichever is anyone’s viewpoint) are presently facing serious challenges. Harsh operating environment and management inadequacies (for some) have combined to foist a difficult economic circumstance for the airlines. This provides a ready excuse for the debts owed by them; very unhelpful in this circumstance. The foregoing is clear indication of a quagmire. For, if the airlines continue to be unable to pay for services rendered to them by the agencies, the agencies will get to the point of being unable to continue to render the services. The agencies’ collapse will definitely lead to collapse of the airlines’ operations as well. That spells a failed aviation industry; a prospect that must be averted by all means. This situation has compelled us as a union, being a high stakeholder, to take a deeper look at these circumstances. And here are what we find:The airlines indeed need all the help they can get. And all indications are that current policy directions of the present Federal Administration are geared towards their support, and are actually producing positive results. But it will take a while before these results manifest in the books. Notwithstanding, the present situation whereby the airlines collect the Agencies’ revenue and refuse to remit same is totally objectionable and unhelpful. Equally, for the airlines to request and utilize services from the Agencies and refuse to pay for them is inexcusable. If this refusal to pay for services becomes the norm, as it appears presently, there can be no better lyrics of aviation’s requiem in Nigeria. We think that the airlines will be acting against their own interest to be chief composers of their own dirge.Inter-agency debts have similar effect as above. One agency owing another has the same impact of rendering the other agency less capable of fulfilling its mandate, whereas every agency’s function is direly needed.Some Agencies have grouse over the sharing formular of statutory accruals. The workers of the Agencies are the ones bearing the brunt of this debts brouhaha. The implementation of the enhanced Conditions of Service of some Agencies are presently on hold due to the debts problem. And it is unrealistic for anyone to expect that the workers will continue to bear this situation indefinitely, especially in the face of present damming economic circumstances in the country. Something will have to give soon. All said and done, this debt crisis is clearly an evil wind. It bodes no good for anyone. In our view, the debtors have the most to lose by the negative impact of the debts. Therefore, it beholds them to make the highest effort, not excluding sarcrifices, towards the resolution of the debts issue. The recommendation of ANAP is to urge the Minister of Aviation to take the bull by the horn and convene an emergency crisis meeting of those involved in this conundrum for the purpose of finding a pathway out of the chokehold. The Ministry of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the airlines (local and foreign), other major players, and the unions are important stakeholders who should participate in such a crisis meeting. It is our considered view that finding a resolution to this crisis is necessary and urgent. Indeed, the earlier the better before things get out of hand in the form of service disruptions by the indebted or the workers. May God help us. . Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu is the Secretary General of Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals