MWUN TO OYETOLA: REFLOATING NNSL IS A MIRAGE
…. Demands payment of Seafarers pension arrears
By Joy Enamuna
The President -General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN) Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju, fnli HFCPSP, has asked the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, to wake up and face reality on ground and perish the idea of refloating the Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) after 28 years of its liquidation.
At the commissioning of the Mission to Seafarers Center in Apapa, the PG notified the Minister of the enormous task ahead of his ministry and varying other issues confronting the Maritime Workers Union, especially on the protracted unpaid entitlements and pensions of disengaged Seafarers of the liquidated NNSL, even as ruled by the NIC in favour of the aged Seafarers ordering the payment.
“The Union is now having a different view of the Minister when he did not speak about the aged Seafarers who navigated the moribund national carrier vessels but muted the new NNSL proposal instead.
MWUN has overtime expressed worries over the attitudes of successive Ministers of Transportation over major challenges confronting the union which includes none payment of retiree seafarers and other issues confronting the blue economy which are yet to be given adequate attention.
“The refloating of a new NNSL will be a mirage if the retired Seafarers who worked tirelessly for the country with deep sense of patriotism are not given their due rights after 28 years they left service as it will be the height of injustice and tantamount to placing the cart before the horse. MWUN insists that the lingering issues be addressed before such proposition is muted by the ministry.”
THE PG OF MWUN, COMRADE ADEWALE ADEYANJU
“We, as a Labour Union will not stand aloof and keep watching our aged Seafarers as they continue suffering and wallowing in abject poverty after meritorious years of service to their fatherland. It’s true that some of the aged Seafarers have died of various types of ailments, some by psychological torture and under avoidable circumstances.”
It would be 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 on the defunct carrier vessels? This is unheard of anywhere globally, therefore, the assertion for a new NNSL is just a mirage except the needful is done”.
“The Blue Economy that is on the lips of every Nigerian today, emerged as a global concept in 2012. Therefore, the Union’s position as far as the new ministry is concerned cannot function without the inclusion of MWUN in all its ramifications; hence, the Union must be part of the policy process, which must be seen to 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) had before now prayed the Minister to look into the nagging issue of the Seafarers to see how he could bring it to a logical conclusion. However, Comrade Adeyanju also promised the Minister of the Union’s support towards making sure that the nation achieved much in the sector in his tenure; but also frowned at the Minister’s projection on the refloating of a new NNSL when he visited Lagos recently without taking cognisance of the plight of the disengaged aged Seafarers, who were part and parcel of the defunct carrier as it were.
It will be unkind to the Union to hear any assertion by the Minister regarding a new NNSL without addressing the issue of unpaid pensions and entitlement of previously disengaged Seafarers .
