Why we endorsed Adeyanju’s re-election bid - NPA workers

Segun Oladipupo |

Members of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) branch of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Tuesday said they supported the re-election bid of the incumbent President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju because he saved their jobs four years ago.

The group of workers led by the branch President, Comrade Ifeanyi Mazeli, said if not for Adeyanju who rose against some of the provisions of the now rested Port and Harbour bill, most of the workers would have been rendered jobless or redundant today.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, Comrade Mazeli explained that barely two months after the executive took over office, the bill was introduced and looking at the provisions, it was against the welfare of the workers but added that Adeyanju stood his ground against it, using all his connections to quash the bill.

“When we came into office about four years ago, we met that monster called Ports and Harbour bill though we are not challenging or opposing government to name its asset in whatever way it seems fit but what we sought to clarify is that we saw certain things that are contained in the bill.

“Some of the things are that the people that will remain would have a new condition of service. This is vague.

“Then the union considered if to retain new condition of service and improve on it or are we going to do a new one and if we are going to have a new one, it should not be less beneficial to the one subsisting.

“Another thing is that the people that are going to remain may not be pensionable. There are lots of ambiguities in what they were saying.

“How can you work in a system and not be pensionable? It means a situation of hire today, fire tomorrow but we have an existing format.

“We workers of NPA are here this morning in appreciation of what you have done for NPA workers and they feel there is no better time to tell you how they feel concerning your leadership in the past four years.

“We have come to greet you and to give you maximum support,” he stated.

Responding, the PG while thanking the workers, said he was shocked by the enormity of support, saying he had to reposition himself,

Adeyanju stated that there were lots of challenges when the present administration came on board but was glad that they were able to surmount them.

To him, the peace in the union is one of his greatest achievements because, according to him, the association would have been on the boil now few months to the elections in the association.

He therefore pledged to do more on the improvement of workers’ welfare because according to him, that is his reason for wanting to lead the workers.