The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, took travellers arriving and departing the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by surprise as passengers were stranded.
The labour leaders from what Vanguard gathered barricaded both major entry and exit of the airport, while on a protest as announced earlier by labour during a press conference held in Abuja.
Cars and airport taxis are stopped from gaining access to pick up passengers.
Passengers trek to get to the road far from the airport to catch up with their taxis while others trek to catch up with their flights.
There is serious traffic on the road to the airport as motorists are waiting for the protest to end.
Meanwhile, passengers are seen discussing the unexpected situation as some blame the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma for the action of labour following the attack on the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajero.
On the other hand, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace development, Festus Keyamo have reacted to the protest, accusing the opposition Labour Party of using the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to disrupt economic activities in the country.
Keyamo made this accusation while reacting to the closure of the entry and exit gate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by the NLC and TUC on Thursday.
The minister appealed to labour leaders to cease disruption of aviation activities across the country.
Condemning the alleged molestation of the NLC President Joe Ajaero, the minister advised people to avoid environments that will cause such manhandling.
“Aviation was not involved in the alleged molestation of the labour leader. Please leave aviation alone. In targeting aviation, it affects both Nigerians and foreigners. They are disrupting the entire country. They are my friends; I have been part of them” Keyamo said.
“Do not allow the Labour Party to destroy the labour movement. Call your leaders together. In other climes were these happen the labour movement are the owners of the party, here they don’t own the party. The labour movement cannot be hirelings on the Labour Party.
“This is my appeal to them, do not destroy yourselves on the platform of politics. They should not target aviation and please not bring politics to aviation. What they are doing is politics and not labour movement. It is not fight for the workers. Its politics.
“I condemn what happened to my friend, Ajaero, but in the same breath, you should not find yourself in such place” he added.
