Lilian Ukagwu, Abuja – The aviation industry is set to experience a total shutdown on Tuesday as the aviation union threatens to carry out a strike. General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Com Sikiru Waheed, disclosed this to journalists at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He said the second day of the ongoing strike will be more effective than the first, which he described as merely a warning to the public and the government about the union’s demands. “Day two of the strike will be more effective than what you are seeing now because we only have some leverage today to serve as a warning to other people who are travelling,” he explained.
Waheed urged anyone planning to travel on Tuesday to shelve their plans, warning that the strike action will result in a total shutdown. “People who need to travel tomorrow should please don’t book a flight for tomorrow because it is going to be a total shutdown. It is not going to be like today. By 5:00 am we will be here to shut down everywhere,” he said. “We are appealing to all those who want to travel that they should postpone their journey for tomorrow because it may be disrupted. It is a warning for everyone in the public.”
When our correspondent visited the airport, passengers arriving at Abuja were left stranded due to heavy traffic and a union lockdown of the check‑in halls, which caused long queues and disrupted vehicular movement. Union officials had locked the entrance to the check‑in halls, leaving many scheduled travelers unable to board. An official who wished to remain anonymous said many passengers missed their flights because of the union’s actions. The situation created chaos and confusion, with frustrated passengers criticizing the lack of communication and assistance from airport officials.
One passenger, Justin Chinonso, lamented, “I don’t know why a country like Nigeria, with such a huge number of people, would treat citizens like this. This will cause a lot of havoc for citizens.” He added, “Protest is normal in every civilized country. It is a way of airing our views provided that it is done peacefully. I just got into the country two days ago and do not even know about the strike, just hearing about it now.”
Another passenger, a student of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Apo, asked to be addressed as Sharon. She arrived at the airport and was waiting for her mother to pick her up. Speaking with her mother on the phone, the mother explained that she had sent a driver at 8:30 am to collect her daughter, but due to the gridlock at the airport the driver had been stuck in traffic for close to three hours.
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