The Merchant Navy and Water Transporters Senior Staff Association has distanced itself from the controversial reappearance of the controversial Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) Bill at the National Assembly.
The association stated last Friday that it is purely a trade union and that it cannot be forming a parallel security outfit in Nigeria.
This is coming as the union said it recently discovered that one of its zones; the Shipping Zonal Council was attempting to sponsor a fresh bill on the Maritime Security Agency Bill (MASECA) through back doors.
At its National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Lagos at the weekend, the union frowned at the move describing it as anti-union activities.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily after the meeting, its National President, Engr Mathew Alalade said the association was quick to discover the moves and quash it before it becomes an embarrassment to it.
He said that the body has equally meted out necessary sanctions on its members who were found culpable, even as he maintained that the association ai purely a trade union.
According to him, the body recently received a report that some members of the union from the shipping zonal council headed by one Comrade Ajao were trying to promote a maritime security bill, but the CWC had to call them to order because the action was not part of its constitution.
"We are curtailing this now because we don't know if they are being sponsored from outside"
"If allowed to go beyond what it is, it would bring the association into disrepute. We shall monitored them strictly now and we have warned them not to do anything outside the association"
"This is a trade union association, we are not a security outfit, it is a professional body meant for the senior staff only, and we would not divert from the constitution", he assured.
Also speaking with our correspondent, Vice president of the Association, Comrade Bonie Akwubo noted that anything that borders on maritime security rests strictly with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Police and that the union cannot interfere in the activities of other government agencies.
He assured that the affected zons were asked to retrace their steps at the meeting and write an apology letter.
"The National executives of the association were not aware of this move. We stumbled on a letter written by the zone, appointing one lawyer as their legal adviser and introducing the zone as promoter of the maritime security bill. At this point they copied the national president so we had to call them to order"
"The merchant navy senior staff is a trade union registered in Nigeria registered under TUC and affiliated to ITF in London with a regional office in Nairobi Kenya. So we are not part of any arms carrying. If we allowed it to go it would give the association a bad name as trying to form a parallel security organ", he said.
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