Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has described the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola CON, dream of re-floating the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) as a mirage.
The President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju made this call in a press statement disseminated today (Wednesday), signed by MWUN Head of Media, Comrade John Ikemefuna.
According to the union, the refloating of a new NNSL will be a mirage if the retired seafarers, who worked tirelessly with deep sense of patriotism for the country are not given their due rights after 28 years they left service.
The Union argued that national carrier vessels will only amount to human injustice of the highest order and will be tantamount to placing the cart before the horse if such proposition is in the pipeline without first thinking of the aged seafarers and other issues that crippled the initial national shipping line.
Adeyanju recalled that few months back he met with the Minister during the commissioning of the Mission to Seafarers Center in Apapa, where he chipped to the Minister the enormous task ahead of him in his ministry and varying major issues confronting the Maritime Workers Union, especially on the protracted unpaid entitlements and pensions of disengaged Seafarers of the liquidated NNSL.
“The Union is now having a different view of the Minister when he did not speak about the aged seafarers who navigated with the moribund national carrier vessels over the new NNSL proposal.”
“MWUN major challenges have not been resolved over the years with several Ministers of Transportation as regards the settlement of the retiree aged Seafarers and other issues confronting the blue economy which have not been given a clear cut definition and mode of operation, is still worrisome to the Union as we speak.”
“We, as a Labour Union will not sit aloof and keep watching our aged Seafarers to continue suffering unnecessary penury after meritorious years of service to their fatherland. It’s true that some of the aged seafarers have died from various types of ailments, some from psychological torture and trauma; mental degradation, abject poverty and so much more that has weighed them down in depression.”
The group also recalled that the former Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, did set up a committee involving two ministries, Ministry of Transportation and Labour Ministry respectively.
“The said committee was charged with the responsibility of carrying out physical verification exercise of the aged seafarers, which the union thought would have brought some sort of succour; but the story is still the same. It’s indeed unfortunate to say here that the committee has never met. So, where do we go from here, when you want to refloat the NNSL with no consideration to the seafarers who served the defunct carrier vessels? This is unheard of anywhere globally, therefore, the assertion for a new NNSL is mirage in its conception, except the needful is done,” the statement read.
Noting that Blue Economy emerged as a global concept in 2012, the Union observed that it should be part of the policy process in conforming with the rules of social inclusion and collaboration, because the blue economy must be seen to strengthening social equity order, hence, our disposition, given the aged seafarers debacle which is yet to receive serious attention.
Comrade Adeyanju, who doubles as the Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), encouraged the Minister to look into the nagging issue of the seafarers to see how he can bring it to a logical conclusion, even as he stressed that the new ministry of Marine and Blue Economy cannot function without the inclusion of MWUN.
However, Comrade Adeyanju also promised the Minister of the Union’s support towards making sure that the nation will achieve much in the sector in his tenure.
