Govt to yield to pressure over encroached aviation lands

Government may yield to pressure from aviation workers to return encroached lands belonging to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.

This is because it has offered to release 150 acres out of the total aviation lands to the GCAA.

It comes after a meeting between government and the leadership of the aviation staff hit a snag yesterday as the workers declined the 40 acres of land offered by the government for the installation of the HF facility.

Management of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority is currently locked up in a meeting with the leadership of the staff union over the latest development.

This meeting is expected to be the final lap of meetings and bring an end to the agitations by the workers over the invasion of lands belonging to the GCAA.

Meanwhile in an earlier interview with Citi Business News, the Executive Vice President-Professional, for the Ghana Air Traffic Controllers Association, Francis Armah Mensah said the leadership will be engaging members on the latest regarding getting their lands back.

“We met the Chief of Staff and apparently there was a stalemate and we did not reach any consensus. But he's promised to call us by close of day on Wednesday so we're waiting on that before rolling out any action,” the Executive Vice President, Professional, for Ghana Air Traffic Controllers Association, Francis Armah Mensah.

Mr. Mensah added, “He tabled 40 acres and we declined to the offer… We are just leaders so we will go and inform our people who we speak for and what they would want is what we will do.”

Monday's crunch meeting followed the strike by the air traffic controllers on Saturday that led to the grounding of domestic flights on Saturday.

The workers are demanding that the authorities of the GCAA steps up efforts to reclaim encroached lands belonging to the Authority.

The workers have warned of some dire consequences on air safety if nothing is done to address the situation.

They have also intimated of a possible judgement debt to the GCAA following its failure to install an HF facility worth about 600,000 Euros.

Last week, the aviation staff embarked on a sit down strike where some activities were halted but the major action so far taken has been the withdrawal of air traffic services that led to the grounding of all domestic flights for close to six hours on Saturday.

The Managing Director of the GCAA, Simon Allotey has however assured of his outfit's commitment to resolve the issue whilst conforming to international air safety control regulations.

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By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana