MWUN threatens non-compliant Stevedoring companies to NIMASA marine notice

 

The union therefore urged the Stevedoring companies to comply with the Marine notice issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to registered stevedoring companies while asking the Stevedores who are yet to start operation, to mobilise to their work locations.


Recall that NIMASA had directed all duly registered stevedoring companies with operational  to start operation and mobilise to their work locations.


The directive, contained in a marine notice issued by NIMASA, said the affected companies should report any encumbrances to the agency in line with the Stevedoring Regulation, 2014, gazetted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, developed pursuant to the NIMASA Act 2007.


The agency equally notified all operators of ports, jetties, onshore or offshore oil and gas or bonded terminals, Inland Container Depots (ICDs), offshore dock terminals, dry ports and platforms, and other work locations to grant duly appointed stevedoring companies access to their premises for commencement of operations.

 It said only corporate bodies duly registered in Nigeria would be allowed to employ dock labour or engage in stevedoring work on board or from ships. 

 

Such corporate entities must have satisfied the requirements for registration specified in the Stevedoring Regulation, 2014, and obtained a Stevedoring license from NIMASA.


However in a press statement issued yesterday by the union,  Com. Adewale Adeyanju, the President General,  lamented that the some stakeholders have continued to flay this government directive by their blatant refusal to grant dock workers access to the operational areas allocated to them by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which has disallowed her members from performing their statutory duties that fetch them their daily bread.

The Union threatened that if the licensed stevedoring companies refused to abide by the marine notice, which may leads her members to starvation, the union shall not hesitate to engage in a manner that has never been witnessed in the country.

According to him “We at the MARITIME WORKERS UNION OF NIGERIA, wish to direct the attention of the general public to a ‘MARINE NOTICE’ Government Notice No. 106 on Stevedoring regulations, 2014 issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) which has been widely published in the print and electronic media.

“The MARINE NOTICE – government notice No. 106 as well as the Associated Stevedoring regulation 2014 are operational guidelines issued by NIMASA to all dock labour employers and private operators of any work location including Ports, Jetties, Onshore or Offshore Oil and Gas or bonded terminals, inland container depots (ICDs), off dock terminals, dry ports and platforms.

“We have noticed with dismay that some of the stakeholders mentioned above have continued to flay this government directive by their blatant refusal to grant the government appointed and NIMASA registered stevedores and dock workers access to the operational areas allocated to them by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

“This is not acceptable to us as we cannot seat back, fold our arms and watch our members being disallowed to perform their statutory duties that fetch them their daily bread.

‘We therefore use this medium to sound a note of warning to those stakeholders who feel that they can always flout government directive with impunity and in effect expose our members to starvation, to have a rethink and allow the government approved and NIMASA registered stevedores and dock workers access without let or hindrance, the operational areas government allocated to them to perform their legitimate duties.

“We shall not hesitate to engage in a manner that has never been witnessed in this land, such stakeholders that see themselves above the law”.


The Union however applauded the NIMASA DG for the numerous successes recorded in his first 100 days in office, while commending the MD of NPA Hadiza Bala Usman for her commitment to the members plight.

 

The union also  appealed to the NPA boss to look into the lingering issue of dredging the Calabar channel which contract the union said had been awarded many years back, stating that the dredging of the Calabar channel will positively boost trade and commerce in the Niger Delta area and further help boost revenue to the Federal government while also creating employments for Nigerians.


“We however wish to applaud the Director General, NIMASA – Dr. Bashir Jamoh for the numerous successes recorded in his first 100 days in office. The energy and spate of innovation he has brought into the Agency is a pointer to many laudable achievements in the pipeline.

“We also want to acknowledge and commend the commitment of the Managing Director, NPA – Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman for the wonderful job done in the Authority   which to mention as few include the payment of severance package to the erstwhile Tally Clerks and On – Board ship gang way security men, the drastic face lift of decayed infrastructure in NPA etc.


“However, we would like to use this medium to request the Managing Director, NPA to look into the lingering issue of dredging the Calabar channel which contract we are reliably informed had been awarded many years back. 

 

“We believe dredging the Calabar channel will positively boost trade and commerce in the Niger Delta area and further help boost revenue to the Federal government while also creating employments for Nigerians.


“We want to assure the public of our readiness to partner with the two Government Agencies in maintaining peace and industrial harmony in the maritime sector and we will continue to do so as long as fairness, equity and justice which they have brought to bear in the system is maintained.