Maritime Workers urge government to revive Eastern ports to boost employment

The Shipping and Freight Forwarding branch of the Nigerian Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called on the Federal government to boost operational activities of the eastern ports of Nigeria , in a bid to encourage shippers from the southern parts of the country.

The branch President, Comrade Ekpeyong Etim Ekpeyong in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, said the Onne, Warri ,Harcourt and Calabar ports should be made busy by the government through constant dredging of the channels to pave way for big vessels to call at the ports.

Harping on the numerous advantages of the eastern ports viability, the branch President noted that with government support in boosting those ports,they would create job opportunity for youths in the region ,as well as increase the number of members in unionism.

He added that resuscitation of the those facilities would further reduce activities of youth unrest in the region, noting that issues of pirate attack on ships,kidnapping and unemployment could be a thing of the past.

The President added that the government should provide adequate security along the corridors to foster confidence in importers that may want to use the ports.

According to Ekpeyong, the fear of kidnappers and pirates are some of the factors responsible for importers low patronage of the ports, hence the government should rise to the occasion by ensuring that the menace is curtailed irrespective of political differences.

He stated that “The only thing is to make the ports busy, the more busy the ports are, the more activities will increase and when activities increase, there is tendency of more employment

“There are no two ways about it because the advantages of those ports working outweighs the disadvantages

While urging President Muhammadu Buhari to look inward in his next level campaign,Ekpeyong advised that :” The government should go for it. There should be no issue of whether east voted for you or not because we are talking about the Nigerian economy.

“The only option they have is to dredge the routes because the shallowness has made big vessels that have depth not to go there except the flat bottom vessels.

“The other thing the government has to do is to provide security in the eastern ports because the fear of kidnappers and pirates are making employers who want to operate and grow activities in those areas not to do it.

“Some companies have folded up in Warri because of the incessant kidnapping for ransom.

“It is the duty of government to make sure that the ports are functioning well and if those facilities in the east are functioning well, Lagos ports will be decongested.

“There is nothing wrong if government will give tax rebate to importers who use the ports just to encourage them to use the ports because 70 to 80 percent of importers are from that axis.

He maintained that good roads and railway lines should be constructed to link the port with the city adding that by so doing, importers in Ana would not have need to come to Lagos to clear that consignments.