The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) yesterday appraised the economic policies of the Federal Government and scored it low, saying they have brought hardship to the populace.
It specifically advised that Government should review its policy on importation of some items, saying that it is wrong to out rightly ban those items without recourse to the well-being of the people and without affordable and available alternatives.
Addressing the press at the Secretariat of the Dockworkers branch, the union’s President General; Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel said: “As an import-dependent country, Nigeria can not suddenly ban the importation of principal goods being generally consumed in the country”
A situation in which the importation of rice which has become our staple food is banned without ensuring local production /availability for Nigerians is dangerous and does not serve the nation’s interest”.
Lamenting the gross effect of the fall in importation as a result of the policy on importation of some items, the union said that about 3000 of its members have been laid-off by shipping companies, terminal operators and logistic firms.
It added that the policy has sent 20 shipping companies out of the country as a result of dwindled balance sheet.
Flanked by executives of the union, Comrade Emmanuel said: “We wish to state that as a result of the government policy which banned the importation of some essential commodities into the country, about three thousand (3000) workers who are members of the union , have been retrenched by shipping companies , terminal operators and logistics companies in the maritime sector. Also about twenty shipping companies have left the shores of the country because of low traffic”.
As a remedy, the union however demanded for a review of the ban. It specifically appealed to the Federal Government to reverse the ban on items such as; wheat, vehicle spare parts, and industrial machineries, “until we are able to them for local consumption”. It warned that, “failure to do this, will encourage smuggling, diversion of ships to neighbouring countries, idle ports, retrenchment of workers, unemployment and general loss of revenue to government”.
Comrade Emmanuel also pointed attention to the fact that there is a revenue leakage through under-declaration in the ports, he attributed it to the sack of a section of dockworkers, namely: tally clerks and on-board security men.
He said the position of the union is that, the sacked tally clerks and on-board security men should be recalled. According to him, when the union’s members were in charge of tallying cargoes, and securing the cargoes on board ships, there were no cases of loss of revenue.
Apart from revenue leakages, occasioned by the sack, he maintained that recalling them would reduce the unemployment currently ravaging the country.
On the state of the roads leading to the seaports, the union demanded for immediate expansion and repair of these roads, to enable the ports handle cargo traffic.
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