The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has said that it is ready to reclaim and resuscitate its abandoned maritime workers housing unit located at Okokomaiko area of Lagos.
President General of the union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stated this yesterday when he led executives and top members of the union to inspect the property which is built on more than one acre of land.
He expressed shock at the condition of the building which had served as the secretariat of the union about 18 years ago. The two storey building had been taken over by squatters, churches and miscreants.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily after inspecting the building, Comrade Adeyanju said that the union would take legal steps to ensure that the squatters were kicked out of the property immediately for the union to take over.
According to him, check-off dues payable to the union has dropped drastically and there is need to diversify the union’s finances to stay afloat.
"We have come to access the properties of the maritime workers union and this is one of them. The check-off dues of the union has reduced and the union needs to look at how we can diversify, this gigantic building is one of the properties and we have come to take it over from the miscreants"
"We have not abandoned the building, it is just because of the situation that we have found ourselves, however this is the right time to take over our property, the will is there now".
"We need to apply legal actions in sending away these people, we would apply all legal actions to make sure that we drive them away" he said
He assured that the National Executive Council of MWUN would be meeting to determine what to do with the property and take decision on it soon.
"I was once a treasurer of the union and I have all the documents with me, we don't have any business with the omo onile, we have paid them off, we have all our documents with us. One of the land at the back was acquired for N7.5 million that was 16 years ago, Comrade Irabor was the President then, while I was the treasurer"
"This was our former secretariat when Baba Ogunleye was the President. The occupants of this place are not our members, they are illegal squatters. This land is more than one acre plus the one at the back. The back was acquired by Comrade Ukaumuna our former President General", he said
Earlier, Adeyanju and his entourage had paid a courtesy call on the former President of the defunct Dockworkers Union of Nigeria (DUN), Comrade Joshua Ogunleye, who also has a hotel at Okomaiko.
Ogunleye advised the union to move in and reclaim its property, saying that the property is worth millions of Naira and it would generate revenue for the union.
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