President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju on Friday, affirmed that the labour union would no longer tolerate any targeted attack on innocent workers at Tin Can Island Port Complex (TICPC).
Adeyanju made his position known in a statement issued to journalists today by Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, Head of Media of MWUN. .
The President General who disclosed this during a working visit to the Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Buba Jubrin reiterated that union will not continue to fold its hands or watch any attack on members who are out for their legitimate duty by hoodlums who parade themselves as association or union members within the ports to cause mayhem.
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Comrade Adeyanju also made it clear to the Port Manager that MWUN has no business being on the roads since it is not its constitutional right to operate within the roads. The roads as it were belongs to the National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW ) otherwise known as Lagos State Park & Management and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). In the course of discussion, Adeyanju also put his countenance vividly that Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) are constitutionally guided to operate within the ports and its axis and not outside the ports. And that it is legitimately binding on the Union to always collaborate with the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority in all its activities at the port; hence, the Union will never engage in any illegality or collaborate with any association(s) or group of persons to embark on operation inimical to the development of the port and its operations, or to the detriment of the nation’s economy at any point in time.
The number one Maritime labour leader reiterated that the Union will no longer tolerate any more targeted attack on innocent Dockworkers, who are out for their legitimate duty by hoodlums who parade themselves as association or union members within the ports to cause mayhem, citing the recent attack before now where four of the Union members were brutally attacked and murdered by these faceless associations and unions. The union will from henceforth match force with force if by any means any Dockworker(s) are attacked again in the port as the past incessant occurrences must not play out any more under any guise or pretence.
The Port is the sole property of the Federal Government of Nigeria and is being regulated by same federal government agencies. Therefore, any entity with an interest to pursue at the Port can only come into the port through the appropriate channel if need be but not through coercion or under any guise of revenue drive without the approval of the Nigerian Port’s Authority (NPA). Such illegitimate actions if not curtailed now will continue to brew crisis within the ports since the port is within the operational purview of the NPA and its regulators. The rules are very clear, hence, MWUN cannot operate on the roads, while the ports remain the operational jurisdiction of MWUN.
As enshrined in the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria Constitution, the Union has a Haulage District under a Chairman with eight units under it; all fall under the Dockworkers’ Branch of the union with its Branch President. This District is the only body that is empowered by the Union to collect check-off dues from the truck drivers who are members of the Union which is in line with the Constitution of the Union. The Dockworkers’ Branch are professionals at the harbour with skills of loading/offloading of goods and consignments from vessels; therefore MWUN has the exclusive right to operate within the ports without hindrance.
It is also on record that the Union has a collaboration with NARTO in this course, and the collaboration has since been made known to all Stakeholders in the maritime sector including the Lagos State Government, the NPA, Police, DSS, NIMASA, Shippers Council.
Having said this, any interested organization or parastatals must desist from unsanctioned incursions into the ports without the approval of the NPA, Shippers’ Council, NIMASA, and other relevant agencies of the maritime sector.
All other faceless associations and unions must stop henceforth from illegal toll collection and extortion from truck drivers as this act of criminality will not help to build the nation’s economy at the ports.
The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria will continue to partner with the NPA and other relevant government agencies in all its policies towards making our seaports operational friendly to all investors and maritime practitioners at all times towards the growth of the nation’s economy.
By Ajibola Adedoye