• Say jetties now hubs for criminal activities
• MWUN condemns shipping firm’s refusal to pay N200,000 minimum wage
• Blue economy, crucial to country’s economic prosperity, says CNS

Maritime unions, under the auspices of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), have decried the absence of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) personnel at the over 150 jetties, turning them into unmanned hubs for criminal activities and economic sabotage.

The maritime unions stated this, yesterday, during a joint media briefing in Apapa, Lagos, to address concerns regarding labour rights, national and job security, as well as financial obligations within the Nigerian maritime sector.

President of SSASCGOC, Akinola Bodunde, cited instances of smuggling and illegal entry of banned goods due to the lack of supervision, which he said, resulted in massive revenue losses for the country.

Bodunde lamented that the visible lack of presence of NPA and NIMASA personnel in these places is a threat to the nation’s security.

President of MWUN, Dr Adeyanju Adewale, who raised serious concerns regarding labour rights, job security, and financial obligations within the Nigerian maritime sector, urged all stakeholders and the government to uphold commitments to workers and support the industry’s stability.

Adewale also expressed deep disappointment over Hull Blyth Shipping Company’s refusal to honour a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) related to N200,000 minimum wage employment standards in the shipping sector.

He warned that MWUN is prepared to take nationwide action, including closing down ports, terminals, and oil platforms if Hull Blyth continues to defy the CBA, noting that “blatant disregard for fair labour practices undermines the sector.”

IN another development, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has said that the blue economy is crucial to the economic prosperity of Nigeria in the face of population growth.

Ogalla stated this in Nsukka, yesterday while delivering the 2024 distinguished yearly public lecture of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), titled, “Safeguarding Nigeria Blue Economy Potentials: The Role of the Nigerian Navy.”

He described the blue economy as the sustainable utilisation of marine resources, stressing that Nigeria must harness the potentials that abound in it to achieve economic prosperity.

In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University of Science Technology, Prof. Aloysius Okolie, who chaired the occasion, commended Ogalla for accepting to be the guest lecturer of the 2024 Faculty of Social Science.

Okolie attributed the current high rate of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism, among others, to a breakdown of social contracts and moral values.