By Victor AhiumaYoung

Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN has decried unresolved industrial issues plaguing the sector.

The President-General of MWUN, Prince  Adewale Adeyanju,  who spoke during the union’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting  in Lagos, also warned  parastatals, companies, and other external agents to steer clear of  upcoming elections next year.

Adeyanju listed some of the issues to include delay of payment of pension to aged seafarers of the defunct Nigeria National Shipping Line, NNSL, funding of Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and promoting safety of inland water ways, resuscitation of Tally clerks and onboard ship security gangway men pooling system, unmanned jetties which constitute avenue for revenue leakages and loss of revenue to government and implementing minimum wage and consequential adjustment.

Others are renewal of licences of terminal operators, near extinction of junior employees in Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, NIWA and Nigeria Shippers Council, NSC, and the need to employ  them, manning of dry ports and so on.

The President-General lamented that these issues had been brought to the authorities concerned to no avail and sought the support of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to pressurize government to address them. 

On the union’s elections coming up in March 2025 he stressed the importance of maintaining the culture of integrity of the democratic process laid down by the previous leaders to safeguard the union’s democratic legacy while preserving the stability of the Maritime sector.

According to him: “Leveraging on the foregoing, I wish to use this medium to appeal to companies, individuals, stakeholders, agencies and parastatals not to indulge in acts capable of destabilising the sound peace we currently enjoy in the sector. Our electoral process is democratic and stands on a tradition of the delegate process which we strictly abide by in accordance with our constitution. We therefore appeal for non-interference from any external agent outside of the one recognised by our constitution.

“I want to use this medium to implore all of us to remember the sacrifices of our past heroes who, through sheer will, understanding, tolerance, and prioritising our collective good over individual gain, embraced reforms which have transformed into the peace and gains we currently enjoy today in the Maritime sector.” 

On his part, President of the NLC,  Joe Ajaero, praised Adeyanju for transforming MWUN and ensuring effective leadership throughout his tenure.

“I do not foresee any problem,” Ajaero said about the upcoming elections. “Where we will face problems in the union is when the leaders don’t want to leave. Where you have sit-tight leaders, by now they will be trying to adjust the constitution to remain in office. But where you have leaders who were elected and they know one day they will leave office, you don’t envisage any problem. Adeyanju brought leadership to MWUN, and I thank him for that.”

Representatives of the MD of the NPA and the DG of NIMASA also spoke in the same vein, commending Adeyanju’s dedication to peace and welfare in the Maritime sector.