Aviation Business Is Collaborative, Says NAFSA President, Inks MOU With NAAPE

President of the Nigeria Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA), Comrade Sunday Ugbeikun has said that aviation business is a collaborative one and that no one professional union can do it alone.
Ugbeikun stated this when NAFSA executive members visited the Secretariat of the National Association of Aircraft, Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
At this meeting, both unions agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a date that would be agreed on by the two parties as a partnership to ensure safety and share ideas on critical issues in the Nigerian aviation Industry.
Speaking at the visit, the President of NAAPE, Engr. Abednego Galadima who led the aircraft pilots and engineer body to receive the visiting NASFA executive thanked the visitors for the visit, adding that NAAPE values the service the association provides for the aviation sector especially for pilots and engineers.
Galadima urged the NAFSA officials to feel free to state what the association was doing and how NAAPE could come in and partner with NAFSA, pointing out that as professional body, the union protects the interest of its members in particular and also promotes safety and growth in the aviation sector in general.
Aviation he said, is a safety driven sector, adding that with collaboration aviation would further be enhanced.
“Aviation is a safety critical industry and team work is very important. We have collaborated with NATCA and as a result, we have NAAPE and NATCA forum where we share ideas on how to move the industry forward. “Now that NAFSA want to also collaborate with us, we welcome you with open arm.
“We are unions who support companies to grow not to pull down organizations. We are in the union to protect the interest of our members,” he reiterated.
On his part, the President of NAFSA, Comrade, Sunday Ugbeikun said that though not all the members of the executive are attending the collaborative meeting, they are fully aware of the collaborative meeting with NAAPE. He added that in subsequent meeting NAFSA will be attending in full strength.
Ugbeikun disclosed that NAFSA has its secretariat in Lagos but that the association has its branches in all the airports in the country and that NAFSA is saddled with the responsibility of collaborating, liaising, cooperating and encouraging the relevant authorities in the aviation industry.
“We know what we are doing and we know we can always do better with the collaboration with NAAPE because we are service driven but unfortunately, most people at the leadership positions are not service driven,” he said.
He hinted that this is not the first professional union NAFSA is partnering with, adding that the association has also met with the leadership of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) who also has a very vibrant professional union like NAAPE.
He pointed out that no government or entity can establish an airport without the services of NAAPE, NATCA and NAFSA.
According to him, “We cannot pursue the course of our members without the assistance of these unions .The collaboration is to support; partner more to move the industry forward.”