Workers at the Nigeria Port Authority under the auspice of two unions, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Maritime Branch of the Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transportation and Corporation, (SSACTAC) Tuesday, staged a nationwide peaceful protest against a repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority Act by the National Assembly.

The bill allegedly sponsored by Honourable Ossai Nicholas Ossai at the House of Representative, seek to repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority Act, CAP126 LFN 2004 and to establish The Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority to Provide for the ownership, management, development of the Ports and Harbours and for related matters.

The protest which started at 5:3am and ended 12:00pm was held simultaneously in all the country seven ports in Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos; Calabar Port, Delta Port, Rivers Port at Port Harcourt, and Onne Port.

The Union threatened to shut down the sector indefinitely if the national assembly still insist in pursuing the passage of the bill.

The Union also wondered why governments demanded they work 24hrs when the road leading to Apapa is not motorable and the no-electricity situation.

The union in a statement signed by comrade Adewale Adeyanju made available to the Nigerian Tribune said if passed the bill will the country to vary security challenges.

“we are here protesting the survival of our nation’s ports and job security of our members and others by the detestable “bill pending at the national assembly for the repeal of the Nigerian Ports Authority Act, Cap 126 LFN 2004 and to establish the Nigerian Ports and harbours authority to provide ownership, management and development of ports and harbour land for related matters which, has been clandestinely been passed by the Senate and gone through the second reading in House of Representative without the knowledge of most stakeholders in the Maritime sector especially organised Labour” he said.

“the sponsor of the Bill, which has been made known to us to be House Ossai Nicholas Ossai at House of Representatives, seem not to understand the consequence of this bill to the security of the nation as it cedes harbour, jetty and terminal operations into private hands. This is especially seriously in the view of dangerous influx of illegal arms and ammunition into the country, which we are all seeing the consequences as evidenced in the insurgency, kidnapping, militancy and other violent crimes across the country”.

“You will recall in 1990 when a private jetty and warehouse were used to import and stockpiled weapons which were deployed in attempt to unseat the then federal government and most recently, the discovery of over 440 carton of danger weapons in containers in two operations in our ports”.

“The bill also, will throw more than half of our members and other workers into the already saturated labour market, which is contrary to the promise of the current give to protect and create jobs. Having examined the act setting up NPA and our experiences since then, we have not been able to understand the reason or reasons for this bill except to through the back door, appropriate national assets to few unpatriotic individuals for their personal aggrandizement thereby denying government of the huge revenue in foreign exchange accruable to it through the Maritime sector”.

“the section 3 of the bill establishing Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority already vest on the Authority sole ownership of all ports and harbours in Nigeria on behalf of the Federal government. The provision of section 10 of the bill which seem to grant general power to the new authority to develop own and control ports in partnership with others is in total conflict with the establishing section of the bill.

“there is no deficiency in existing system and the existing authority and we were not even called or informed about it, but are surprised that the bill has gone through the public hearing without one of the majors stakeholders; members of the two house unions being given opportunity to air our views”

The union further said the bill seek to to legitimise sacking of the existing staffs.

“A cursory examination of item 6 in the second schedule of the said bill seeks to wickedly legitimise sacking of workers as it unambiguously state that not every staff of NPA will be absolved by the new Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority. No proviso is also made concerning the fate of the employees whose services will not be transferred, including how and who pays their terminal benefit. More worrisome is the fact that the bill in section 15 (4) will give the new authority power to employ on non-pensionable terms and conditions. This effectively institutionalize the evil of casualization of the workers and negates the provision of the Federation government pension Reform Act, 2004 as amended”.

“we unequivocally reject this bill. We are determined to ensure that Nigeria and Nigerians are not short changed by this obnoxious bill. We appeal to members of the national assembly to listen to the voice of reason and obey the wish of the people. If we discover that plans to make this bill a law continues in the National Assembly, we will not hesitate to shut down the sector indefinitely, until the voice of the people prevails”.

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