International Oil Companies (IOCs) may have again thrashed the recent resolution reached during a stakeholders meeting held between the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Stevedoring Operators of Nigeria and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
The meeting was to resolve the lingering issue of engagement of registered stevedores by the International Oil Companies (IOCs).
At the meeting, the Minister of Transportation; Muazu Jaaji Sambo had given the IOCs a May 8, 2023 deadline to allow registered stevedoring companies to deploy dockworkers to work in their oil and gas platforms.
The directive and subsequent agreement follow serial disregard of previous directives over the years by the IOCs.
However, findings by Shipping Position Daily revealed that many of the IOCs are yet to comply with the May 8, deadline issued by the federal government.
In a chat with our correspondent, the President National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO), Mr. Bolaji Sunmola confirmed that the IOCs are yet to fully comply, even as he stated that many of them are yet to report back to give full compliance to the resolutions taken.
He said, “They have not fully complied; we have those who signed the communique, they are yet to report back to give full compliance to what was discussed and agreed to, so we are waiting to hear from them as of today”
“But I am sure there will be a reaction from the government and NPA, because NPA and the ministry are right on top of it”, he said.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the fight for IOCs to comply with the directives of stevedoring engagements has lingered for more than 10 years with the foreign oil companies disregarding the federal government despite threats of sanction and penalty.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) had threatened to go on strike more than eight times owing to the failure of the IOCs to comply with the stevedoring laws, but the IOCs have so far remained unshaken by the threats.
In fact, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had last year written to the then Minister of Transportation; Mr Rotimi Amaechi, intimating him of a looming strike over the refusal of International Oil Companies to engage Nigerian dockworkers through registered stevedoring companies as required by law.
In the letter dated March 3rd, 2022, the President of NLC as at that time Ayuba Wabba, stated that one of its affiliates, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, has been in a running battle with the IOCs over refusal to comply with Marine Notice 106, mandating the IOCs and others to allow the Stevedoring Companies and registered dockworkers access to their platforms to commence operations as required by law.
Among others, NLC said “We write to seek the firm intervention of the Minister to prevent the shutdown of all maritime operations in Nigeria any moment from now as the union is poised to take action at the expiration of the two weeks timeline. Any action undertaken by our affiliate union — Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria – at the expiration of the two weeks ultimatum will receive the full backing and solidarity support from the Nigeria Labour Congress.”
MWUN has accused the IOCs of breaching the laws in Nigeria especially the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NlMASA, Act, 2007, a Government Marine Notice No. 106, 2014 issued to stakeholders in the sector.
Following the letter written by NLC Rotimi Amaechi had given the IOCs seven days marching order to comply with the stevedoring law, but despite the marching order they remained defiant and unmovable
During a press briefing last year, the President of General MWUN; Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, had expressed surprise at the level of disregard that the IOCs have for Nigerian laws and especially for the then-Minister of Transportation.
Shipping Position Daily also recalls that several Marine Notices have been issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), for stevedoring firms to return to location and commence operations, but the IOCs has continued to disobey the nation’s laws in this regard.
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