Maritime Workers Chief Says Over 7000 jobs lost in sector in 2016

The President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Tony Emmanuel Nted, in this interview with journalists says the union will have no other option than to embark on street protest, if government fails to heed its plea to stop implementation of some its alleged anti-people policies. STANLEY IHEDIGBO brings the excerpts

You were quoted to have commended the Federal Government on its recent ban on the importation of cars through the land borders, which some Nigerians see as anti-people. What is your reason for the comment?

The purpose of the press conference was to highlight the position of the union on some of the government’s policies as it concerns the maritime sector and the implication on our members. It will be recalled that the union highlighted some of the challenges affecting the industry during the last executive council and Special Delegates Conference held in 2016.

This includes access roads to the ports; they have been abandoned for several years. As we speak, there is nothing on ground to show that contract for the reconstruction of the port access roads have been awarded despite the assurances given by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that contracts have been awarded. In recent times, importers and manufacturers have been finding it extreme difficult to access foreign exchange and where it is available, the rate will be outrageous.

The negative effect include; loss of jobs, closure of factories and business places, relocation of businesses which includes shipping companies to neighbouring countries, which as well cause loss of revenue for the country. Then, the ban on importation of cars through land borders, we believe that this policy will increase revenue and create jobs in the country.

However, we will like to appeal to the Federal Government to give one month grace to the importers so that those already at the borders can get them into the country. After the one month grace, government should go ahead with the policy. If government bans the cars through the borders, it will also help the people who import cars into the country because customs will collect their duty before the cars are allowed to enter the country.

All of us are a living testimony to what is happening in the country today, you will find out that 100 or more cars that come in from the neighbouring countries, only 50 per cent pass through customs process while the remaining 50 per cent come in through the back door and government is losing revenue, companies in the ports are losing their job. If all these cargoes are allowed to come to the Nigerian ports, government will make a lot of revenue because nobody will take a car out of the ports without paying necessary payment like duty and other statutory payment and workers job will be retained.

However, government knows that those things happened since and they should give leverage for those, their cars are trapped in the borders to be able to be cleared as result of the recession period. After that, government should be strict and ensure that the policy is enforced, so that the cars will come through Nigerian ports.

Are you not in agreement that some of these government policies are antipeople?

When government initiates some of these policies, they don’t carry along the union as an important stakeholder in the sector. I think we should be carried along, not only the Nigeria Shippers Council, Nigerian Ports Authority and others should be involved when these policies are been formulated.

We have written to government to ask why workers are not being carried along before they come out with their policies. In you have workers in such meetings; they will be representing the companies in the sector and government as well, because we are like whistleblowers, telling the whole world what is happening. If we are carried along, how do we take the decision and inform our members.

This is the issue we are talking a b o u t , a n y government that wants to take decision, needs the workers to be there, so that they will know what the policies are all about and will be able disseminate the information to those concerned and educate our members on why the policy was introduced.

We don’t say that government don’t have right to introduce policies but the people should be involve. For example, government banned importation of rice into this country and they were telling us that we have rice in this state and that state. Even, that there rice is everywhere in the country, but we are a living testimony to the fact that a bag of rice last year was sold for N25,000 and some people’s salary in the this country is not up to N25,000 a month.

Rice is one of the staple foods for a common man in Nigeria and how can they afford a bag. If the Federal Government says fine, we will go into agriculture; they should give us timeframe like between two to three years so that the poor people of this great country will not go to bed hungry.

The economic recession is affecting every one; companies are closing, no job anywhere in the country now. I can tell you that in the maritime sector only, up to 7000 people lost their jobs last year and Federal government is coming up with different policies that are difficult for the people with workers suffering most. We are appealing to government to stop implementation of some of these policies that are anti-people. As union leaders, we will continue to cry, if government refuses to stop implementation of some of these policies, we will go to the streets and tell the whole world that we cannot longer bear it. So that government will have a rethink.

Organised Private Sector has been complaining of high cost of doing business in the Nigeria ports a development said to be why Nigerian importers are patronizing ports of other countries where it is easier and cheaper to clear their goods. What is your view on this?

I don’t know how to put it, but it is very clear for all of us to understand that all statutory charges in the ports are been regulated by the Bureau of Public Entrepreneur (PBE) when they concessioned the ports and if the Terminal Operators have gone ahead and to collect charges not approved by the agency, the onus is on the port users to rise up and challenge it.

If the price is outrageous compared to what is charged in the neighbouring countries, the Federal Government should look at how to reduce the charges so that people can do business in the country. We heard that people say that Nigerian ports are too expensive for business, so that is justification for them to bring in cars t h r o u g h back door. And if they are bringing the cars through the back door, you do genuine business as you are passing through the border, Nigeria customs will collect their duty and the neighbouring countries customs will also collect their charges. Although. If you are bringing one container into the ports, it takes you more than five hours and if you taking out of ports you still spend the same time.

Nigerian Port Authority wrote us a letter that they have already contracted out the access roads to Julies Berger and one other company and we are expecting something on ground. I will tell you that up to now, nothing is happening or are they deceiving us, we don’t know. We will still find out because many people have lost their lives, armed robbers attacked people, man hours were lost and other challenges in the ports today.

The workers who work in the ports today are going through hell because they close work late and go home late. Importers are saying that it is because of these challenges that they want to clears their cars in neighbouring countries. The Federal Government needs to look at their complaints if it is true and for the workers union, there is some element of truth in what they are saying.

How is the union preparing for the upcoming National Delegates Conference?

The tenure of my administration ends in March 2017, and by the grace of God, the new leadership will emerge. Now, our union election is very simple and clear. For any election we conduct in the Maritime Workers Union, we always invite the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). I contested all the elections, one in Warri, Delta State that saw me becoming the national vice president, I contested for the position of the president in Benin, Edo State and I won the election and in Abuja for another election. I won too, meaning that all my elections, I won them all.

But people are not learning lesson from the past. Our election guidelines and forms are out; every member of this union is qualified to vote and be voted for. I advise members to collect the form and fill them, at the end of the day, go to the poll, if you win the election, fine or fail fine too.

But what is happening to our union is not good because they have written several petitions against me. They accused me of imposing somebody in the union and that I want to do this and that. I will never impose anybody and I have made it clear to them that I have only one vote to cast and I cannot vote for two people at the same time. All the candidates are more than qualified and let those who are going to vote look well before they vote.

The workers union knows the volatile nature of the dock workers branch and they are just like military men, so we need somebody that will be able to match the brand and any other branches in the union. The Maritime Workers Union is not like any other union. It is a very strong union that has many problems because of complaints from the seamen, shipping, dock workers, and we need strong support from the executives.

Also, we want our legacy to remain; all we have built for years to stand and for the incoming leadership who will be elected in March in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to build on it.

(Financial Watch)