The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) against disrupting airport flight operations.

“Please, I want to beg the labour leaders, leave aviation alone. You cannot target aviation in trying to address your grievances,” said Mr Keyamo.

He warned at the ministerial retreat for minister, permanent secretary, directors and head of agencies of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development on Thursday in Effurun, Delta.

Mr Keyamo said that as the political head of the aviation industry in Nigeria, he would not tolerate the activities of the Labour leaders blocking access roads to the airport.

On Thursday morning, labour leaders blocked access roads to the Abuja Airport in protest over the maltreatment of the president of NLC, Joe Ajaero.

“I am addressing the labour leaders across the country; do not allow the Labour Party (LP) to destroy the labour movement,” he said. “I repeat, do not allow the LP and party politics to destroy the labour movement.”

Mr Keyamo said the industry was key and central to any sustainable growth and development in other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“As a minister, I will not allow the labour movement to target the aviation. If they do, I will fight back. They should not bring politics into aviation.

“They can deceive others, but they cannot deceive me. So I am appealing that the labour movement should not destroy themselves on the platform of politics,” the minister said.

Mr Keyamo said he identified a five-point agenda for the rapid transformation of the sector in line with the eight priority areas of President Bola Tinubu.

The minister said the objective of the retreat was to brainstorm, deliberate and carry out a “SWOT” analysis of the industry to proffer practical solutions to attain the desired results.

Thomas Ereyitomi, chairman of the House Committee on Aviation Technology, said the retreat would serve as a testimony of a collective commitment to elevate the standard of aviation in Nigeria.

 “The decisions and strategies we formulate during this retreat will have a great impact on our national development,” he said.

(NAN)