As union says BUA/PTOL terminal, Port Harcourt shut since Sunday

By Victor Young & Godwin Oritse

LEADERS of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, will today meet in Lagos to determine the next line of action following the expiration of 48 hours issued to the Rivers State Government to release about 20 dockworkers arrested last Saturday.

Recall that the union had threatened to shut the nation’s maritime sector from today should the Rivers State Government fail to release the workers arrested on their way home after essential operations at the Port Harcourt Port.

They were said to have been arrested by the state coronavirus, COVID-19 taskforce team led by Governor Nyesom Wike and that all entreaties and explanations by the workers fell on deaf ears.

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Speaking on the development, President-General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, said: “the ultimatum subsists because nothing has changed. We have informed the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, about the development and he will get to us tomorrow (today). Also, we will be meeting tomorrow (today) to decide the next line of action. As we speak, the BUA/PTOL terminal, Port Harcourt, has been shut since Sunday. However, I can say more than this until after our tomorrow’s meeting.”

Threatening to shut the maritime sector from today, the president-general in a statement on Sunday lamented that even the presentation of “Essential Duty Ports Pass”, issued by Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, did not sway the governor, rather he allegedly asked the workers to go to Abuja where they could work unhindered.

According to the statement, the union claimed no fewer than 20 dockworkers were arrested and some others could not be accounted for as at yesterday, saying among others, “all entreaties/explanation made by our members to the task force team led by the Governor Nyesom Wike, that they were on essential services fell on deaf ears even after they presented duly signed ‘Essential Duty Port Pass’ issued by the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA. Instead, the governor mocked them that they should go to Abuja and work.

“Consequent to the above, most terminal operators, shipping companies and port users in Port Harcourt ports are closing down shop as a direct result of the activities of the Rivers State government for not allowing port workers and other stakeholders to work. This has direct implication for the nation’s economy and a clear threat to the employment and job security of port workers including dockworkers and shipping companies’ employees.
“As direct consequences of Governor Wike’s action, some terminal operators have closed down their operations till further notice leading to loss of jobs by Nigerians especially dockworkers.”

The statement said: “We wish to draw the attention of Governor Wike to the fact that port operations is placed on the exclusive list in the constitution and is, therefore, under the direct management of the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transport and its agency – Nigerian Ports Authority.
“We also wish to draw the attention of the public to the fact that littoral states like Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, etc, all allow maritime operations without the harassment of workers whose services are ‘essential to the functions of the nation’s economy. These workers that were arrested and those we cannot account for as at today, are contributors to the federation account revenue that the Rivers State government joins other states of the federation to share every month besides the taxes these workers pay to the Rivers State government every month as pay as you earn, PAYE.

“We call on President Buhari, the Minister of Transport – Mr Chibuike Amaechi Rotimi, and other well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on Governor Wike to immediately release our members, others that were arrested, and their staff bus impounded on Saturday, May 9, 2020. Already, there is restiveness in the entire ports across the country and this appeal to release the arrested workers is to douse the rising tension in the ports which could snowball into full-scale industrial unrest if not quickly apprehended now.

“We wish to use this medium to state that if in the next 48 hours starting from Monday, May 11, 2020, nothing is done to effect the release of our members, the union will have no option but to withdraw our services in the entire nation’s seaport, terminals and jetties in solidarity with our detained members as an injury to one is an injury to all.”