Former President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Anthony Nted, has called on the Federal Government to take swift action in addressing the hardship citizens are facing.

Acknowledging the difficult economic climate, Nted noted that he receives approximately 200 calls daily from Nigerians seeking help with necessities, urging the government to expedite action to tackle economic hardship.

He said this during his 65th birthday celebration on October 1, which coincided with Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, lamenting that “People are dying from starvation.”

However, despite the challenges, he urged Nigerians to give the current administration under President
Bola Tinubu adequate time to implement its reforms.

“They are talking about reform. Let us trust God and believe that the reform will work. It is not going to work within one year or two years. A four-year period would be more appropriate for assessing the administration’s performance,” he said.

As a maritime leader, he used the occasion of his 65th birthday celebration to paint a picture of cautious optimism for the nation’s maritime sector while expressing concerns about the broader economy.

The ceremony, which was attended by the current MWUN President General, Francis Bunu, other industry stakeholders, and well-wishers, Nted described the maritime sector as performing reasonably well, particularly highlighting the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as a crucial component of the nation’s economy.

“The maritime industry is doing well. Like the Port Authority, we call it the second level of new generation to the nation’s economy after crude oil,” he said.

He emphasised that proper management of the ports remains critical, noting that “nobody wants to see any leakages from the Nigeria Port Authority because that is where the revenue is generated apart from the oil industry.”

The former union leader praised other agencies within the maritime sector, even as he expressed confidence in the current leadership under Francis Bunu, whom he described as a promising administrator.

He advised that successful leadership in the union requires carrying everyone along rather than favouring particular groups.

The former union leader also called for stronger anti-corruption measures, warning that agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) risk becoming ineffective if they fail to prosecute cases to completion.

“If the case is not taken, before you know it, all the agencies, EFCC, ICPC, all of them will become toothless bulldogs,” he warned, stressing that consistent prosecution would serve as a deterrent to others.

Corroborating Nted on the positive outlook in the maritime sector, Francis Bunu described the current state of the maritime industry as promising, particularly for seafarers, dockworkers, shipping companies, and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

“The current state of the maritime industry is promising, very, very promising. We know that the present ministry, departments, and the federal government agencies that we have are listening to people. They are people who want to listen to us, to the union, who want to do the right thing.”

Bunu expressed optimism that the sector would continue to flourish, adding, “We are very optimistic that it will be a very great sector in the near future.”

On government policies affecting the industry, the current union president adopted a pragmatic stance, arguing that the timing of policies is often subjective.