By Victor AhiumaYoung

The protracted battle by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, for the payment of the pensions and other benefits of over 2,000 staff of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL, is heading towards a fruitful end for the former seafarers and their next-of-kin. 

Consequently, the union has given the hint that it will push for a pension buy-out for the affected former employees or their families especially their next-of-kin.

Speaking with Vanguard, the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, said: “They have finished the verification of the defunct staff of the Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL. It was a tripartite arrangement among the Ministry of Blue Economy, the Nigeria Port Authority, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.  We are now waiting for the outcome of the report of the verification exercise.

“The exercise should give the actual figure of how many of them have died? How many people are their next of kin, so we can sit down with the government and negotiate their pension benefits. It is negotiable in line with the court judgment. We are waiting and will not allow it to take too long.

“It is one thing for you to do a physical verification and it is another thing for the government to wake up and do the right thing at the right time. The union will still push for more. These people are dying every day. They should be recognized for their services to the country.

“The court has given a judgment that they should be paid their pensions, so they are entitled to their pension benefits. What the union will be trying to do is what we call pension buy-outs so that they can uniformly pay them all the same. We don’t know the amount until we get to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Chairman Senate Committee on Maritime Transport, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun, has thrown his support for MWUN in its struggle for the payment of the benefits of aged seafarers

Senator Eshinlokun spoke at the commemoration of the Day of the Seafarer 2024 organised by the NIMASA in Lagos.

The Senate Committee Chairman also assured that his colleagues from the House of Representatives would be ready to support the union in its demands as soon as they are forwarded to the National Assembly by NIMASA.

He said “I want to acknowledge and commend the efforts of Adewale Adeyanju (MWUN President General) for his wisdom and push for a better welfare for Nigerian seafarers

“From the Senate and on behalf of my colleagues at the House of Representatives, we are ready to work with NIMASA in finding solutions to all these challenges.

“When NIMASA brings it forward, we would expeditiously append our signatures and made funds available.

“I want to pledge the National Assembly’s collective commitment to advancing the rights, welfare and safety of Nigerian seafarers. Your contributions are deeply valued and appreciated”

Earlier, Prince Adeyanju called on the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola,  to expedite action and ensure that the ex-NNSL employees get their pension and privileges.

According to him, “Today being the Day of the Seafarers , we are appreciating the seafarers that have contributed immensely to the economy of this country and to the success that everybody is enjoying today. But it is shameful that we still have close to 2,000 seafarers that are yet to be paid their pensions.”

Vanguard News