By Uzor Odigbo
Mariners tagged Concerned Seafarers have taken steps to fight the course of their members by engaging the services of a lawyer to review the cases of over twenty seafarers languishing in Ikoyi prison in Lagos.
Five crew members are currently languishing in prison for various charges including false documentation for which some of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging between five and ten years even as others are awaiting trials.
But the Concerned Seafarers have insisted that some of those suffering in detentions can still regain their freedom if the services of a competent lawyer is engaged because according to them, some of the seafarers are suffering from offences they know nothing about.
A visit to Ikoyi prison at the weekend, confirmed that some of the seafarers had been in incarceration for about three years while some were sentenced for 10 years over cases bothering on false documentation.
The group which comprises the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association and Nigerian Association of Master Mariners noted the seafarers have decided to come together in achieving a common goal.
The National President of the seafarers union ,Engineer Matthew Alalade who led the group to Ikoyi prison re-echooed the need for seafarers to seek counselling from the association before job placements aboard.
Alalade said some of the seafarers in prison were uninformed which in turn has made them to pay dearly for offences they do not have knowledge about.
The union President who also doubles as Auditor, Trade Union Congress appealed to seafarers to register with union as a way of seeking protection, adding that if they had joined the union from outset, the union would have beeb aware of their ordeal and fight for them.
Speaking with the Captain Adetayo Awonuga, a member of the Concerned Seafarers group said that “We see that what is going on in the maritime sector is not right cobcwrnibg we core professionals, that os why we came together and rallied round and started the movement
“We now have a direction as seafarers and now more knowledgeable about what it takes and how to go about our jobs and we will still go for more sensitisation of our people to let them know their rights because if they know their rights, they won’t get into some problems.
“I believe with this move, we will come out with something good because oir lawyer is capable that is why we chose him bcause ww have been folowing him.
Speaking with the Captain Adetayo Awonuga, a member of the Concerned Seafarers group said that “We see that what is going on in the maritime sector is not right cobcwrnibg we core professionals, that os why we came together and rallied round and started the movement
“We now have a direction as seafarers and now more knowledgeable about what it takes and how to go about our jobs and we will still go for more sensitisation of our people to let them know their rights because if they know their rights, they won’t get into some problems.
“I believe with this move, we will come out with something good because oir lawyer is capable that is why we chose him bcause ww have been folowing him.
“We want to form a formidable pressure group that can fight its own course and not for other professionals to cone and dominate the industry.
He added that the problem had arisen because all seafarers neglected the association and were pursuing their private courses and jobs.
He maintained that having seen that their members were going to jail for malicious reasons, they decided to stand to the occasion.
He maintained that having seen that their members were going to jail for malicious reasons, they decided to stand to the occasion.
Also speaking, Barrister Eyitayo Ogunyemi said he interviewed five crew members comprising of over twenty persons among whose cases have been determined and given ten years imprisonment term whoke some were given five years jail term.
He quipped that of the inmates are still facing trial while the trila of others are yet to commence evwn as cases of others are pending in the court.
He said, “We will have to search the records of the court for all cases to enable us have an holistic view of what is before the court and also guide us on the steps to take. In doing this, we would need to apply for the certified true copy of all court papers in each case. While we would go ahead to prepare application letter.
“For the cases still undergoing trial, subject to the union’s approval, we ought to be at the court for their respective next court sittings. Coincidentally, the cases are coming up on the 6th, 7th and 8th of November respectively.
