By Victor AhiumaYoung

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria,  MWUN, has reiterated its calls for the return of Tally Clerks and On-board Gangway Securitymen to the nation’s seaports.

According to MWUN, among other issues: Tally Clerks and onboard Gangway Security Men form an integral part of Dockworkers in accordance with section 27 of NIMASA Act 2007. 

The legality of the jobs of Tally Clerks and On-Board Gangway Security men date back to Decree 13 of 1979, Nigeria Dock Labour Decree Number 37 of 1999, establishing Joint Dock Labour Industrial Council, JODLIC, section 32(a) of the Nigerian Maritime Labour Act of 2003, establishing Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council, JOMALIC and section 27 (a) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Act of 2007.

It will be recalled that no fewer than 3, 700 Tally Clerks and On-board Gangway Securitymen, were sacked from the nation’s ports  i n 2016 under controversial circumstances when the then Minister of Transportation, allegedly gave approval for for the termination of the contract of the Stevedoring contractors that employed them.

While stakeholders unanimously demanded the renewal of the contract,  the agents of government opted to bring in private body to takeover their jobs.

Since then, the union has been unrelenting in battle for their return.

President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, who spoke on the importance of the Tally Clerks and On-board Gangway Securitymen, said: “It is important to equally draw the attention of Government to the resuscitation of Tally Clerks and On-board Gangway Securitymen which forms an integral part of Dockworkers in accordance with section 27 of NIMASA Act 2007. 

He explained that apart from the fact that the country was losing billions of Naira, the absence of Tally Clerks was making vessels loaded with dangerous substances to come into the nation’s ports, discharge and leave unnoticed. 

He said: “We are talking of dangerous cargoes such as trafficking of illicit drugs, arms and ammunitions, and even easy access for stowaways, among others. The job meant for the Tally Clerks who are representative and eyes of the government at the ports, is now handled by private hands who have nothing to offer the nation.

 “The Tally Clerks and On-board Gangway men should be urgently brought back to the ports in order to curb the influx of illegal activities. The same thing is applicable  to the Tally Clerks. They act as revenue collectors on behalf of the government. 

“The nation is losing huge revenue as a result of Tally Clerks’ absence at the ports. Do you know how much tonnage vessels bring into the country on daily basis? There are increasing cases of what is known as under-declaration of tonnage. This is because nobody to do the work of the Tally Clerks physically anymore. 

“These unscrupulous people just present any figure and it is taken. This is wrong and we cannot continue like this. In those days, we have ports statisticians who did the tallying but we don’t have such anymore. Today, anything can go out and come in. With onboard securitymen, we can restore security onboard vessels.  I can tell you that the government does not know what is happening in the port.

“We do know more because we are on standby and receive information from our men on the field. They should be returned so that illicit drugs, dangerous vessels and stowaways don’t come into Nigeria.”

Prince Adeyanju also in efforts to checkmate cases of drugs trafficking in the port, equally said “We urge the Nigeria Customs Service to extend a hand of fellowship, collaborate and synergize with Dockworkers and the Union in the area of customs examination to forestall the importation of hard drugs.”