Maritime staff elevate alarm over poor security at ports

The Maritime Staff Union of Nigeria has stated that the protection of port staff below dilapidated quay aprons will not be assured.

The President Normal of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, acknowledged this in a chat with The PidomNigeria in Lagos on Monday.

Based on him, the employees’ lives are now not protected due to the jetty aprons, that are sinking and decaying.

“The lives of the employees are now not protected due to the jetty aprons, that are sinking, decaying. And many of the cranes they’re utilizing, a few of them are 200 tons, 500 tons on a quay apron that’s sinking, already going. So, inform me in regards to the security of the employees of that place.

“The place is the protection of the port customers and stakeholders working there? All of the folks working inside that quay apron facet, together with dockworkers, NPA, and port customers, amongst others, their security is now not assured,” Adeyanju stated.

He stated there have been plans to withdraw their service because of the poor state of the terminal for now, stressing that they’ve a strategy of doing that.

“It has not gotten to the extent of withdrawing the service of our members. We comply with due course of. We have now to have interaction our principals, the terminal operators, and largely, the proprietor of the port, which is the Nigerian Ports Authority. As a result of we simply obtained a brand new MD. Who’s an insider and a proactive particular person?” he stated.

He expressed confidence within the Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho-led NPA administration to make sure that the realm of port infrastructure is given a facelift.

“I consider he’s coming; he’ll have a look at his guide to know if they’ve awarded the contract to a contractor that can be certain that the jetty aprons are getting a facelift,” he acknowledged.

Adeyanju talked about that some terminals had been grounded, which was why they misplaced a dockworker about three weeks in the past.