Maritime workers, SSASCGOC restate opposition to  “sneaking” of Port and Harbour Bill into legislation through back door”

UFOMBA UZUEGBU

Leadership of the two in-house unions in the nation’s maritime sector: Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (Maritime branch)-SSASCGOC, have restated their opposition to clandestine moves by the National Assembly(NASS), to allegedly sneak the Port and Harbour Bill into legislation through indirect access.

The unions, who made their position known during a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, warned that they would not fold their hands and allow few unpatriotic Nigerians within the industry to rip off the nation’s common wealth and render the maritime industry unproductive through the Bill which they alleged, would create poverty, hopelessness, hunger and generate avid bitterness amongst the already impoverished workers and the Nigerian citizenry.

A statement jointly signed by Comrades Adeyanju Adewale and Akin Bodunde,President-General,MWUN and President, SSASCGOC respectively, and made available to news men, recalled that the Bill which was earlier initiated by an Honourable member of the National Assembly, was squashed from becoming law through the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, stakeholders and the exerted efforts  of the two in-house unions-MWUN and SSASCGOC,who mutually and strongly affirmed their opposition towards the proposed Bill.

“We wish to note that this said Bill,if allowed to be passed into law, will have far-reaching consequences on the security of the nation as it will cede harbour,jetty and terminal operations into private hands.

” We are therefore not surprised that the Bill is being vigorously sponsored by certain unpatriotic individuals within the maritime sector,who are hell bent on appropriating our common wealth and cornering same and lining  their individuals pockets and those of their cronies”,, the statement noted.

The unions lamented the deplorable state of the various nation’s seaports,decrepit state of port access roads, collapsing  quay aprons and the general failure of infrastructure within the ports.

They charged the nation’s 10th Assembly, to find solutions to the myriad of problems bedeviling the nation’s ports, terminals, jetties and Oil and Gas platforms,including the need to dredge all the ports  particularly, Calabar,Warrior,Onne,among others, for increased efficiency, and not “to clandestinely and recklessly seek to misappropriate public infrastructure through unfriendly legislation for the benefit of individuals whose only interest, is capital accumulation and not the general pubic good of all.

” We are even further surprised that the sponsors of this Bill outrightly ignored our demand to call the  International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in our sovereign Territorial economic zones, who have snobbishly refused to obey our extant maritime regulations, standards and laws to order,but, find it expedient to sit in the comfort of their hallowed chambers to push for laws that will be detrimental and  inimical to the welfare and well-being of the working class Nigerians and our nation’s security and sovereignty, “it further alleged.

MWUN and SSASCGOC reminded the Executive,NASS and the new  Ministry of  Maritime and Blue Economy,” that this is certainly not the right way to go as this ploy by these selfish individuals in the maritime sector will cause chaos and anarchy in the  industry which has enjoined sustained peace since the idea of projecting the harsh Bill was killed in 2018, will not be allowed to come to fruition “,they warned.

The unions passéd a vote of confidence on the Nigerian Ports Authority Act as it currently relates to the Nigerian State and the well-being of the  workers in the sector,even as they vowed to push the Bill further.

They therefore, demanded for its withdrawal in it’s entirety.