By Victor Ahiuma-Young 

The protracted battle over the unpaid pension and other benefits of the former workers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL, appears to be coming to an end as the Federal Government is said to have agreed on a pension buyout.

Though the details of the buyout have not been disclosed, but the immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, gave the hint during his valedictory speech at the at the Union’s 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference, NDC, in Lagos.

Among other things, he said the Union had “Secured approval for aged seafarers’ unpaid disengagement benefits, with the government agreeing to a Pension Buyout.”

Earlier in a chat with Vanguard, he said “I want to commend the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola for the effort taken so far towards addressing this protracted issue of aged Seafarers, especially the way he has been handling the matter since he came on board. Yes, a committee was set-up, and as I am talking to you, the committee has submitted its report to the Minister. 

“I heard from sources that the matter has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for appropriate action. What we are asking is that they expedite action for the government to pay these aged Seafarers. It is about 30 years ago that this matter has been on ground. Vanguard has been following this matter for some time. You know what those old men have passed through. 

“The government should not treat them, as if they are slaves in their fatherland. They contributed immensely to the economy of the country through seafaring. The last time I met with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, he said he was aware of the matter, and that the government was going to do something about it. 

“He must have done one or two things still within his purview they may not want us to know now. But as a union, we are expecting the government to provide us with a proper update on how this matter should be rested for the aged seafarers should enjoy the benefit of their labour in the ports.”

Recall that President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government liquidated the NNSL in 1995, and since then, the battle for the payment of the benefits, including pensions of former employees, including the disengaged staff, has been ongoing despite a valid court judgment.

Not long ago, the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, had informed that the unpaid pensions of the aged seafarers, which he inherited, had been a serious concern to the union for 30 years, despite efforts by previous leaderships of the union.

He lamented that many of the affected former employees had died, and others were critically ill and needed money for medical treatment, but successive governments had been foot-dragging on the payment.

According to him, “We even got a court judgment that the government should pay them their entitlements, but all to no avail. We have finished the verifications of the former employees and the beneficiaries of those who have died. It was a tripartite arrangement between the Ministry of Blue Economy, Nigeria Ports Authority, and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

“Since the verification, nothing has happened. The outcome of the verification exercise has not been made public. We are now waiting for the outcome of the report of the verification exercise. We need to know the figures. How many people have died? How many people are next of kin, so that we can sit down with the government and negotiate their pensions and other benefits? It is negotiable in line with the court judgment. The matter has been ongoing for over 30 years.”

Earlier, MWUN signed the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on how to address the protracted issue.

The three-point MoU was reached between the Federal Ministry of Transportation and MWUN after a meeting called by the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige. The meeting was convened to find a lasting solution to the lingering case of non-payment of pensions to aged seafarers disengaged from the defunct NNSL in 1995.