Adeyanju urges politicians to invest in maritime industry

Segun Oladipupo

The President of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adeyanju Adewale,has taken a swipe at politicians whose only interest is exploring the maritime industry for selfish gains with no contribution to the growth of the sector.

The renowned maritime workers’ leader while speaking with Journalists at the 2nd Annual Seafarers Colloquium held at Apapa, Lagos, charged Nigerian politicians to invest their resources in such area as procuring vessels to enable all the trained cadets to have sea time training. 

He frowned at politicians who are only concerned about how to win elections, amass wealth, and perpetuate themselves in power and not on what will improve the lot of the common people.

His words, “Rather than the politicians investing more in our maritime sector, they prefer to spend it on other areas that do not have bearing on the masses.

“What stopped them from buying vessels for all the crews that have been educated, certified Captains and certified Chief Engineers who are roaming around the streets.

“These money they are taking out of the country ,why couldn’t they use them to buy more vessels and bring back a resuscitated Shipping line of those days to us?

“Politicians should not concentrate on winning elections and being in power all the times, they should think about the welfare of the people they’re governing.”

The stand of the union and other major stakeholders,according to the MWUN boss, is that efforts should be geared towards bringing back all those liquidated vessels of the past like when the Nigerian Maritime space was having close to 30 vessels.

He commended the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its vigour and purposeful leadership under it’s helmsman, Dr Bashir Jamoh.

Adeyanju however charged the agency to intensify more efforts in the area of sorting out how those trained overseas would be engaged when they come back into the country.

“NIMASA has however done well by way of sending many of our cadets out of this country for proper training, I want to use this medium to say NIMASA too should invest in getting vessels for those that have graduated from all those schools, the earlier they do it, it’s better for this country,” Adeyanju said.

The MWUN boss further called on government to upgrade both private and public institutions in furtherance to meet international standard.

He expressed worries over continuous denial of the Certificate of Competency (CoC) by certain flag states which limits the application of Nigerian seafaring in other climes, urging government and its appropriate agencies to gear up and work towards the certificate acceptability in the global space.

According to him, “Of course all is not rosy yet as we continue to face obstacles which threaten to impair the seafarers capacity to reach their potentials.

“We find it expedient at this time to announce our worry at the continued denial of our certificate of competency by certain flag states which limits the application of our seafaring competency in other clime .