Nigerian seaports nationwide will be shut down from Tuesday, 9th January, 2024 barring any intervention from government.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) under the leadership of Comrade Adeyanju Adewale is already warming up to shut down all the nation’s seaports, jetties, and oil & gas platforms; given the continued refusal of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Stevedoring Contractors to comply with the Stevedoring extant laws.
It would be recalled that the union had written series of letters, press releases, ultimatums, marine notices given by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and several ministerial orders, all of which were serially ignored by the management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). The recent of such ultimatums was dated June 13, 2023 with ref.no. MWUN/MD/NPA/SC/U/1.23, over duly signed communiques spanning over three years.
The union, in a press statement issued by its Head of Media, Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, warned that it was using this press statement to demand the total compliance of IOCs to the stevedoring regulations in line with the communiques signed by all the relevant stakeholders in the sector.
The statement noted that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as master stevedore and industry regulator is wholly saddled with the responsibility of granting operational licences to stevedoring companies to provide stevedoring services for designated IOCs in Nigeria.
It further noted that the NPA also has the enduring duty to use its oversight and regulatory authority to ensure respect for law and regulations in the dealings of the International Oil Companies (IOCs), who make use of the services of the stevedoring companies; and by extension, Members of Maritime Workers Union as Workers in (IOCs) employ.
MWUN in the statement condemned the lukewarmness of NPA to call the IOCs to order. The union is saddened that NPA has abdicated its sole responsibility by allowing the IOCs to run an unimaginable riot without control in the sector.
“As a responsible social partner and a Union which operates strictly in line with extant regulations, MWUN have since 2018 severally brought to the NPA’s attention the refusal of the IOCs to honour the provisions of the extant stevedoring regulations and the continued violation of the remittance of Union Cheque-off dues in line with the extant stevedoring regulations.
“As a bridge of the extant stevedoring laws stated, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, will on the 9th Tuesday, 2024 shut down the seaports nationwide after the expiration of the three (3) work days already given to NPA commencing from the 4th of January, 2024”, the statement stressed.