The management of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has frowned at National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE’s) meddling in its internal affairs on the issue of the secondment of Mr Benjamin Okewu who is also the President of Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN) from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria to AIB.

AIB in a statement signed by its head, public affairs, Tunji Oketunbi advised NAAPE to concentrate on working for the improvement of its members’ welfare.

Reacting to media reports on the secondment of Mr Okewu, Oketunbi noted the reports were based on a petition reportedly authored by NAAPE raising dusts over Mr. Okewu’s placement or ‘elevation’.

“While we do not, as a policy, want to join issues with people, especially trade unions in the media, AIB management is constrained to respond to set the records straight. In the first instance, secondment is a normal exercise in the civil service. Mr Okewu was not placed in an undeserved position even as the management has not violated extant rules on secondment.
If the authors of the petition had done their home work, they would have realised that the salary structure of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria is different from that of the regular civil service. NCAT is part of the tertiary education salary structure where the highest grade level is CONTEDIS 15 for a director while the civil service salary structure, which AIB operates terminates at Grade Level 17 for a general manager,” Oketunbi said in the statement.

He explained that Mr Okewu was due for promotion as at January 2016.

According to him, AIB cannot promote him but only asked him to cover the duties of the Head of Human Resources in acting capacity as AGM (GL 15 or CONTEDIS 13).

He added that moving into Human Resources from planning background in addition to Okewu’s immense experience in industrial relations which is a plus for his new assignment.

AIB head of public affairs pointed out to NAAPE that  Trade unions should not fan embers of disunity but work for cohesion and team work in establishments where they are represented.