By John Kennedy Ikemefuna
The immediate past President-General of Maritme Workers’ Union of Nigeria, and Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju has congratulated the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Honourable Adegboyega Oyetola for his recent victory on winning the International Maritme Organization (IMO) Category ‘C’ Council Seat, lauding the exceptional minister over the wins for the Nigeria.
Dr. Adeyanju says that the Osun State born minister took a very strong and a radical approach with his Inter-rministeral campaign committee, who were out on target for the huge success recorded for Nigeria, surpassing the event of 2011 and 2019. The Vice President Global, International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) did not mince words when he said that Hon. Oyetola is one amongst the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) Ministers, whose performance so far has brought honour and pride to Nigeria; having secured the Category ‘C’ seat in the IMO to place Nigeria in the global world of maritme map; thus raising the nation’s maritme industry to a lofty height.
The Oyo Prince also commended the MD of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the Nigerian Water Inland Waterways Auntority (NIWA), The Executive Director, Shippers Council of Nigeria (SCN), and the Nigeria Maritme and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dayo Mobereola for their coordinated synergy in this landmark achievement for Nigeria and her Maritme sector, which of course would continue to boost the sector for Nigeria locally and globally.
Comrade Adeyanju also admonished the federal government of Nigeria to upgrade the Maritme Academy, Oron, given this exceptional global feat to avail the country’s Seafarers and Dockworkers the opportunity of preparing their documents here in Nigeria, rather than traveling to Ghana as it were to obtaining their Seamen Passports and other relative documents in Nigeria.
The current BOT Chairman of MWUN, Prince Adeyanju, says he is convinced that with the efforts put together in achieving the IMO Seat success; the federal government can as replicate same measures in raising the standard of the Maritme Academy, Oron for the best of the Institution’s Cadets and the country’s Seafarers, who toil most times fruitlessly to getting their Seamen Certificates in neighbouring countries, which had always been an Achilles hill for them.
The labour administrator also advised the government on the issue of the Aged-Seafareres, whose unpaid pensions has lingered for so long. It will be pertinent to note that very many of these senior citizens have suffered so much in penury, in sickness of various dimensions and some have also died, yet the open-ended promises of paying them their entitlements have not been met.
It’s on record that the Ministry of Labour and Employment and that of the Finance have put every machinery in place for the Aged-Seafareres to get paid, but till now, the former NNSL staff are still kept in the limbo, while most of them are passing out on daily basis. This is a very sad situation for the Retired Seafarers and it’s not the best way to treat them at all. The Government must do everything within its reach to make sure that they are settled accordingly before they are claimed by unsuspecting death, but may God forbids.
In view of the aforesaid, the government should hasten up their payments to give the Aged-Seafareres some lifeline before it’s too late.
The former PG also noted the critical case of the onboard security and gangway men, who have been missing from the country’s maritme sector operations long time ago. The fact remains that we can’t ignore this aspect of the Port’s operations, which involves the Dockworkers and the Seafarers operation round the clock.
I want to use this medium to drive my points home that the absence of the onboard security gangway men is causing Nigeria a lot of revenue loss, because consignments are poorly reported. it’s also a risk that the nation’s seaports have no onboard security gangway men manning vessels within the Ports, which is to the detriment of the country’s maritme security space.
So, I am advocating that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and all other Regulating Maritme Agencies should as a matter of urgency bring back to all vessels onboard security gangway men for proper record of tonnages that enter the ports and for its internal security.
