President of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Mr Abayomi Agoro, has decried the deplorable state of navigational control tower equipment at airports in Nigeria.
Agoro made this known during a courtesy visit by the executive of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, on Sunday.
Agoro, however, said the association has tried as much as possible to engage the management to do the needful within the little resources that they have.
He said the air traffic controllers were currently battling with the challenges of equipment upgrade and shortage of manpower, which could hamper the safety of airspace for aircrafts.
“The working environment is becoming deplorable. As I am talking to you now, some airports do not even have functioning equipment.
“Even, the Kaduna we are talking about does not have control tower. What they are using there is watch room (for fire fighters), which is not built for that purpose, and we have been calling on the government to do something.
“We go to Sokoto, once it rains today, controllers will go to look for umbrellas to sit at the control tower and some of the control towers attached to the terminal buildings were ceded to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), while those standing alone were with Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
“We have approached the two organisations, but NAMA will be waiting for FAAN to put it in order. FAAN will say is it our staff members that are working there and that is simply due to bureaucracy, and you now discover controllers will continue to suffer.
“We are still battling with terrestrial radio frequency, communication here and there. Calabar is there; there is no airport you will go to today that you would say things are working 80 per cent.
“Calabar is also in a serious deplorable state, even though we heard the management is looking to put things in order. The main work there needs to be taken by NAMA because the equipment there is owned by NAMA.
“The only thing FAAN will do is the structural aspect, including the lifts. The building is becoming dilapidated and when we talk about the radio facilities and others, it is NAMA. NAMA needs to place emphasis on this critical equipment.
Agoro said the industry was getting new airports, at least they know about Anambra, Bayelsa and Ogun states, adding that they needed Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) in those places.
He said apart from retirement, due to age, there was also the health aspect of the officers because of the nature and stress of the job.
He said: “The work causes a lot of stress and that is why the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has made conditions for us for annual medical checkups. It’s an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirement.
“As a professional body, we insist on keeping to the professional requirement but unfortunately you cannot just pick anybody on the road. This is because attitude, interest, and discipline are core values, not when somebody needs a job you just say, ‘make him an air traffic controller’. No.
“We should have at least 600 to 650 ATCs. Let me also tell you, there is no point in leaving one controller on duty in the tower.
“It is dangerous, and we must say it and while a station like Kaduna has less than six air controllers, definitely they will work only one per shift, but I can tell you that NAMA has close to 4,000 staff,” he said.
Agoro, however, appealed to the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, to come to their aid and ensure that the air traffic controllers had conducive working environment and upgrade equipment that would ensure safety of the country’s airspace.
Earlier, Chairman of LAAC, Mr Olusegun Koiki, lamented the poor working conditions the ATCs are subjected to, in the system. He emphasised that the contributions of air traffic service to air safety in the system could not be overemphasised, assuring that the league would collaborate with the association to move the sector forward.
Koiki, however, canvassed for supports for the league from NATCA, maintaining that the league would continue to propagate professionalism and adherence to industry standards, by all players in the sector.
