• STOAN Urges NIMASA To Utilise Stevedoring Levy For Dockworkers
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has expressed displeasure over the continuous delay in the renewal of licenses of terminal operators at the nation’s seaports.
President, MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, who made this known at the 2024 Dockworkers Day organised by the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) in collaboration with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), in Lagos, said the workers are determined to see the signing of the licenses which is long overdue.
He appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the agreements are signed as soon as possible, as it is negatively impacting operations at the seaports.
Adeyanju said: “We want to see the renewal of the licenses of terminal operators. There are a lot of dividends from having responsible terminal operators. Why are you delaying the signing of the agreements? The workers are warming up, because they are worried about what is happening to their employers.
“The workers are ready and will ask why the licenses of our employees are delayed. When NPA was managing the port, people said they are not performing, now that private terminal operators have been brought in, we have seen the dividends, let us support our indigenous terminal operators to grow,” he said.
He urged the terminal operators to keep training maritime workers and engaging qualified personnel for the training.
Adeyanju, however, lamented that after spending millions of dollars to equip Maritime University Oron, the institution’s products are still not recognised overseas.
In his goodwill message, the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, GboyegaOyetola, said the ministry in conjunction with the NPA in the quest to reposition the nation’s ports has commenced processes for the modernisation of seaports, through addressing dilapidated state of the port infrastructures to enhance efficiency and ensure competitiveness in the global maritime space.
Oyetola, who was represented by the Director, Press and Public Relations, OlujimiOyetomi, assured that the Federal Government will continue to create enabling environment to encourage the participation of private sector to address the infrastructural gaps in the maritime sector to enhance service delivery.
This, he said, is necessary to enhance opportunities and harness the immense benefits in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, has appealed to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to use the 0.5 per cent stevedoring levy remitted by terminal operators for the training of dockworkers.
Haastrup emphasised that the levy is specifically designated for dockworkers training, but expressed disappointment that NIMASA has not utilised the funds for the purpose, despite the significant resources available.
She called on the agency to fulfill its responsibility and invest in the training of dockworkers.
The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adeleye Ajayi, expressed concerns that in spite of their relevance, dockworkers are not properly treated, often the least regarded by terminal operators and ship owners, to the extent that their safety in the course of work is being overlooked.
Ajayi stressed the need to create a safer operating environment at the ports, as it is important to retrain stevedores and dock workers.
He, however, applauded the partnership between SCAN and MWUN, urging that it should get better to create more efficiency at the ports.
President, SCAN, Eugene Agha, said Nigeria is on its way to optimising the benefits of its abundant ocean endowments with the creation of a ministry of marine and blue economy. Already, he said both government and private sector stakeholders are repositioning to make the most of this reality.
“In an import-dependent economy, and with the port sector a primary segment of the nation’s focus for revenue generation and economic diversification, we at SCAN believe that dockworkers are pivotal in translating the efforts to exploit the nation’s near-endless marine potentials into economic wealth,” he said. (Guardian)
