The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called on management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to provide biometric identity cards for dockworkers in outstations.
The outstations are seaports within the South South region of the country, which is also known as eastern ports namely: Onne, Port Harcourt, Warri, Sapele, Calabar.
President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeniyi who made the plea on Thursday in Lagos during the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Conference held in Lagos and put together by the Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA), expressed disappointment over management of NIMASA delay on the Issuance of biometric to the dockers aside Lagos seaports.
Adeyanju lamented that the biometric identity cards for dockers go beyond Lagos Ports adding that the out ports dockworkers should be issued their own biometric identity cards to authenticate their operational activities.
Adeyanju who doubles as the Deputy President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) noted that operations of dockworkers are not limited to Lagos seaports, adding that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, therefore government must begin the verification exercise to authenticate dockers biometric.
He reiterated that ”We have a lot of demand from government mostly those grey areas. For example the bio metric identity cards have not be issued to the dockers outstations.”
Adeyanju described the dockworkers as the power house of the union and their demands must be addressed with urgency because of the peculiarity surrounding their operations.
“We want the Director General of NIMASA to address this issue of biometric identity cards for our members that are not based in Lagos.”
He also commended the DG NIMASA for starting on good note, adding that the apex regulatory agency should improve on the grey areas affecting seafarers’ and dockworkers.
According to him, MWUN and NMNOWTSSA are from one family and must be their brother keepers whenever there are issues affecting the maritime industry especially seafarers’.
Adeyanju reiterated that the right of seafarers’ are yet to be fulfilled on the part of the government saying that the payment for the retired seafarers should be looked into urgently.
Speaking on the delegates conference, Adeyanju stated that the incumbent President of the NMNOWTSSA, Comrade Bob Joseph Yousuo deserves as second term , saying that his leadership style is union friendly.
He said the president of the merchant Navy has been an administrator thus the need for his re-election.
“Yousou has been an administrator, he has seen it all as a wonderful leader. Congratulations for the new journey,” he said.
