By ITOHAN ABARA-LASERIAN

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has shelved its planned protest against Federal Government?s deduction of 50 per cent of internally generated revenue of aviation agencies.

This is contained in a statement signed by the General Secretary of the association, Mr Olayinka Abioye, in Lagos on Tuesday.

Abioye said that the protest, earlier planned to begin on Sept. 18, had been suspended due to ongoing discussions on the issue by higher authorities in the industry.

He said: ?Consequent upon information available to us about ongoing discussions by higher authorities over the continued deduction of 50 per cent by the Federal Government, I hasten to inform our esteemed members that the planned protest scheduled for tomorrow is hereby suspended pending the outcome of these discussions which we shall communicate appropriately to you all.

?Thank you for your usual understanding,? he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, on Sept. 11, an agreement was reached by all members of aviation workers? unions to embark on a nationwide peaceful protest at all airports over the deduction.

The unions are NAAPE, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.

The unions want discontinuation of the 50 per cent deduction from the coffers of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

The unions said that the aviation agencies were not profit-making. (NAN)

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