By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Nigerians for Better Nigeria, NBN, a civil society organization, CSO, has called on the Federal Government to intervene over the alleged five-year withholding of disengaged dockworkers’ benefits by Integrated Logistics Services, INTELS, Nigeria Limited.

According to NBN, the dockworkers, disengaged between 2020 and 2021, have suffered untold hardships, with some dying without receiving their entitlements.

In a statement signed by its National Secretary, Abdulmumin Sanusi, NBN lamented that, as of December 2024, nine of the affected workers had died, while others were battling serious health conditions without funds for treatment.

The statement listed the deceased as: Rhoda Oberueuria, Austine Okunsaye, Friday Ikwut, Nwabueze Okocha, Kennedy James, Wisdom Mbakanawo, Timothy Lucky, Gumikup Friday, and Andrew Ikpate.

It also identified those battling deteriorating health conditions as Iyara Best Oghenewede, Vincent Adolphus, and Gogo Dagogo Ngeribara, stating: “As of December 2024, we cannot confirm whether they are still alive or have recovered. That is why we are pleading with the Federal Government to intervene urgently to save the remaining victims, whose only ‘crime’ was working for INTELS.

“We are talking about Nigerians with families and dependents to care for. Even they are slaves, they have rights as human beings. We are urging not only the federal government to intervene, but other well meaning citizens of this country to save these people from untimely deaths.”

NBN recalled its December 2024 statement, which disputed INTELS’ claim that the matter was pending in court. 

It insisted that the only issue before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, at the time was the enforcement of an Industrial Arbitration Panel, IAP, ruling that all parties negotiate and agree on benefits due to the disengaged dockworkers.

No fewer than 599 dockworkers, disengaged by INTELS through Associated Maritime Services, AMS, between 2020 and 2021, have been fighting for their entitlements with no resolution in sight. Of the 624 total dockworkers involved, 599 were seconded to AMS by INTELS.

Between November 2020 and June 2021, INTELS and AMS discontinued their services. 

However, INTELS allegedly refused to pay the affected workers their terminal and other benefits.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, took the matter to the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

When reconciliation failed, the case was referred to the IAP.

In September 2021, the IAP ruled that INTELS and AMS should pay full entitlements—including gratuities and terminal benefits—to the 624 disengaged workers. 

AMS paid redundancy and extra gratuity to only its 34 permanent staff, refusing to negotiate for the 599 contract workers seconded by INTELS.

The IAP further ruled that ¦ 300,000 should be used as the basis for calculating extra gratuity for each year of completed service for workers who served five years or more.

The ruling also clarified that all contract staff affected by redundancy exercises conducted on November 30, 2020; February 2, 2021; and June 15, 2021—totaling over 624—were to be considered as INTELS employees.

INTELS, however, rejected the ruling and approached the NICN for redress. 

The NICN ruled that INTELS must pay the terminal and other benefits of all affected employees and directed both INTELS and AMS to negotiate with the union.

The NICN also held that it was inappropriate for the IAP to fix benefit amounts without negotiations. Despite the NICN ruling, INTELS allegedly refused to negotiate and instead approached the Appeal Court twice, seeking leave to challenge the NICN decision. On both occasions, the court denied INTELS the requested relief.

Following reports of some of the disengaged dockworkers deaths due to lack of medical care and basic support, MWUN, in a letter dated November 20, 2024, through its then Secretary-General, Felix Akingboye, proposed December 6, 2024, for a meeting with INTELS’ Managing Director to resolve the matter.

To date, INTELS has allegedly refused to either pay the disengaged workers or negotiate with MWUN, in defiance of the NICN ruling.