By VICTOR  AHIUMA-YOUNG

LAGOS — MARITIME Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to intervene in the ongoing dispute between Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd, NLNG.

The union called on Jonathan to compel NLNG to pay NIMASA’s  statutory levies in the interest of industrial peace in the maritime industry.

Specifically, MWUN wants President Jonathan to  compel NLNG to pay NIMASA all accumulated three percent levies on gross freight and two percent surcharge due on its cabotage contracts to NIMASA within 21 days, failing which the union will shut down all the ports operations in the country.

At a briefing, yesterday, President of MWUN, Anthony Nted said: “We are aware that the law setting up NIMASA, the NIMASA Act 2007 in section 15, stipulates that the agency shall be funded by monies accruing to it from among other sources.

“This is three percent of gross freight on all international inbound and outbound cargoes from ships or shipping companies operating in Nigeria, as part of the funds to meet the operational cost of the agency.

“The law also makes it clear that all ships and shipping companies operating in Nigeria are expected to obey this provision.

“It is a known fact that training and other maritime infrastructure development are capital intensive. Hence NIMASA’s responsibility in this regard cannot be’ met with its lean budgetary allocations.

“It is in this respect that we are particularly surprised to learn of the flagrant refusal by NLNG to pay the statutory levies due to the government on it is shipping activities as well as the two percent levy on its cabotage activities in Nigeria’s coastal waters.”

“We are aware that apart from its general duty with respect to the development of merchant shipping and seafarers, NlMASA is the only agency of government statutorily empowered to provide direction on, qualification, certification, employment and welfare of maritime labour in Nigeria.

“It regulates and administers the certification of seafarers; establish maritime training and safety standards; enforce and administer the provisions of the Cabotage Act 2003/ and develop and implement policies and programmes.”

which will facilitate the growth of local capacity in ownership, manning and construction of ships and other maritime infrastructure in Nigeria, among other responsibilities.”

“The foregoing provision clearly puts NIMASA at a very strategic position with respect to maritime labour issues in Nigeria particularly as regards the training of Seafarers and Dockworkers. Iv1r President would recall that this was the sole duty of the defunct Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council, JOMALIC, before the Council was merged with the then Nigerian Maritime Authority, NMA, to form the present NIMASA in 2007, Hence it is now the statutory responsibility of NIMASA to undertake the training, certification, development of Seafarers and Dockworkers in order to meet the needs of the industry. Also by the nature of the maritime industry world-wide, maritime training has to be done both locally and abroad.

“It is a known fact that training and other maritime infrastructure development are capital intensive. Hence NIMASA’s responsibility in this regard cannot be’ met with its lean budgetary allocations. It is in this respect that we are particularly surprised to learn of the flagrant refusal by the NLNG to pay the statutory levies due to the government on it is shipping activities as well as the 2% levy on its cabotage activities in Nigeria’s coastal waters.

Needless to state that the said refusal by the NLNG to pay the accumulated 3% gross freight on its business activities from its inception in 1989 to date has drastically reduced the revenue available to NIMASA and in turn undermined its ability to carry out its operations, perform its statutory responsibilities and in particular compromised its ability to meet its core functions with respect to maritime labour issues in Nigeria.

We recognize the danger posed by the said refusa1by the NLNG to meet its statutory responsibility with respect to payment of taxes and levies due from its operations; including the negative precedent as other companies may be tempted to toe the same line of action. This Union strongly believes that the NLNG should be subject to the laws of this country because it is operating and doing business in Nigeria.”