By Uzor Odigbo
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria on Wednesday, called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and port concessionaires to address the ugly trend of vandalism before it leads to economic sabotage.
To this end, the union frowned at accusing fingers pointed to dockworkers on cargo vandalism at the terminals.
President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in a chat maintained that labour workers at the terminals are well paid and cannot be involved in any form of criminal activities at the seaport.
Adeyanju had warned dockworkers to desist from physical examination of containers at the seaport, noting that the labour workers are well remunerated with good welfare package and cannot compromise the union’s integrity.
The union boss further called on government agencies operating at the seaports to investigate the ugly trend, saying it has negative and wrong signal to the international maritime community.
According to him, there is need for licensed customs agents to manage information sharing process, saying that pilfering of containers at the terminals can be traced to insiders of the customs, terminals operators and officials of NPA.
The union leader lamented that dockworkers at the ports have been discharging their duties diligently for over a decade without any form of cargo vandalism but added that the ugly trend resurfaced recently.
He quipped: “Dockworkers have been working for years at the ports and nobody has recorded cases of cargo vandalization. How come the sudden change?
“We will not accept any form of accusation from any quarters that dockworkers are part of the people damaging or vandalising containers at the seaports because we are responsible and committed to workers welfare packages.
“The clearing agents, canteen boys, Ikelebes all have ideas about information on consignment but the dockworkers have no idea about the vessel, the manifest and what she discharges.”
He also called on the labour workers to desist from any form of practice that would tarnish the image of the union, noting that “Anyone who gets himself involved in illegal business will cease to be part of the union.”
