The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-owned Companies (SSACGOC) have expressed their opposition to the plans by the National Assembly to revisit the Ports and Harbour Bill, which seeks to repeal the Act that set up the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The two unions, which represent the workers of the NPA, held a joint press conference in Lagos on Monday, where they warned that the bill, if passed into law, would have grave consequences on the nation’s security, economy, and employment.
According to the unions, the bill would cede the harbour, jetty, and terminal operations to private hands, thereby undermining the sovereignty and interest of the nation. They also accused some unpatriotic individuals within the maritime sector of sponsoring the bill for their personal gains.
The unions urged President Bola Tinubu to be wary of the bill, as it would jeopardize his commitment to the creation of 5 million jobs for Nigerians through the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
The unions also lamented the deplorable state of the nation’s seaports, port access roads, quay aprons, and other infrastructures, and called on the National Assembly to focus on finding solutions to the myriad of problems bedeviling the maritime industry, rather than pushing for a bill that would be detrimental and inimical to the welfare and well-being of the working class, Nigerians, and the nation.
The unions further demanded that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the nation’s economic zones should obey the extant maritime regulations, standards, and laws, and not flout them with impunity.
The Ports and Harbour Bill was introduced by the 8th National Assembly, but was not passed after maritime stakeholders protested against its passage. The bill is now being revived by the 10th National Assembly, which has raised the alarm of the maritime workers .