…Petitions Tinubu, seek his urgent intervention

By Victor AhiumaYoung

Workers in the Maritime sector have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to stop the implementation of the presidential directive on a 50 percent automatic deduction from the internally generated revenue of federal government-owned enterprises as it affects the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

Under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies, SSASCGOC, Nigerian Port Authority, NPA branch, in a joint letter to President Bola Tinubu dated March 15, 2024, the workers threatened to shut all ports activities at the expiration of the ultimatum if the deduction was not stopped.

The letter jointly signed by Prince Adewale Adeyanju, and Felix Akingboye, President-General and Secretary-General, MWUN, as well as Akinola  Bodunde, and Eko Alli,  President and Acting General Secretary, respectively, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu for immediate intervention, warning that if the policy is not reversed, it would lead to irreversible industrial action and economic damage of the nation.

Among others, the letter reads “The Nigerian Ports Authority, as the employer of workers who are our members, is self-funded and receives zero allocation from the government budget. This means that it needs to retain most, if not all, of the funds it generates to be able to continue to effectively discharge its duties, which include constant dredging of our Ports, regular maintenance of our Quay Aprons, maintenance of Ports, Jetties, and Terminals, man Power development and discharge of Corporate Social Responsibilities.

“Without prejudice to the intentions behind the formation of policies to raise revenue for the Federal Government, it must be said that it is not advisable to introduce extractive policies to self-funding specialized entities as they will be subjected to unnecessary hardship and avoidable disruption of processes due to the revenue disruptions.

“Since it came into force, the list of negative effects of this policy of 50 percent automatic deduction is growing at an alarming rate. Suffice it to say that the 50 percent benchmark for deduction is inimical to the survival and growth of the NPA. It constitutes a direct threat to its growth, its operations, and ultimately its very existence. This is because the unprecedented drop in the revenue pool has directly impacted the NPA’s ability to carry out its responsibilities, as highlighted above.

“The two Unions SSASCGOC and MWUN also wish to impress upon Your Excellency that the Minister of Finance, in having to combine the onerous duty to sign off on funds meant for the running of the NPA and several other government-owned entities as the sole signatory authorized to do so is constituting a bottleneck to the effective running of the NPA in particular with the resultant delay in the payment of Gratuities, Rent allowance, and Salaries/Pension to workers and retirees alike.

“Our recommendation in our referenced letter was that rather than 50 percent, it would be more practical to deduct 30 percent while 70 percent is left to the Authority to carry on its statutory duties as highlighted here.

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“Your Excellency, we implore you to take cognizance of our pains and the negative impact this policy and its execution mechanisms are having on the workers and Nigerian Ports Authority as an entity.

“For the avoidance of any ambiguity, the two Unions SSASCGOS and MWUN do demand a rejig of the execution mechanisms of this policy to ensure timely actualization of the funds disbursement process; and a downward review of the new deduction from 50 percent to 30 percent.

“Failure to effect the changes we have so demanded within seven days from the receipt of this letter will result in the two Unions having no further option than to proceed on an industrial action to wit: the withdrawal of the services of all our members from all the Ports nationwide.”

Vanguard Newspaper