• Tally Clerks, Onboard Security Yet To Receive Payment
There appears to be no going back on the decision by the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) to stop further payments to about 5000 stevedores who are currently engaged in five of the nation’s seaports.
The ports are: Lagos port, Tin Can Island port, Onne port, Rivers port and Calabar port. The affected stevedores are all members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
Shipping Position Daily confirmed last week that, stevedoring companies have stepped up their lobby to arm-twist the NPA into rescinding the December 15, 2025 deadline given to the on-board security men and tally clerks.
Sources at the Federal Ministry of Transport hinted our correspondent that there have been moves to force NPA to continue payment of the embattled stevedores, in view of the political implication to the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The same was confirmed by one of our correspondents at the NPA, where a senior officer hinted that a verbal directive may have been handed down to NPA to continue to bear the financial burden of paying the stevedores.
Shipping Position Daily also confirmed last week that, even though the Nigerian Ports Authority had promised to pay all outstanding monies it was owing tally clerks and on-board security men before December 15th 2015 (tomorrow), none of the affected worked have been paid the outstanding wages.
The National Association of Stevedoring Companies has also accused NPA of making empty promises.
President of the stevedoring companies association; Mr. Bolaji Sunmola confirmed to Shipping Position Daily that the NPA has not paid any of its members as promised.
The NPA's Executive Director Marine and Operations, Engr. David Omonibeke had at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos recently assured that the NPA will pay the tally clerks all their outstanding arrears before 15th December. He had also threatened that after the date, NPA will disengage from further contractual agreement with the either the stevedoring firms or the workers.
Speaking with our correspondent last weekend, Sunmola said: "We are waiting on NPA to make a pronouncement and we have not heard from them up till now"
"They have not paid us a kobo as at today, apart from what they paid us two months ago. It is an empty promise they have made because as at today which is a Saturday, they have not paid a dime to any of my members" Sunmola said.
He confirmed that following the associations petition to the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the minister has intervened on the matter.
"I am well aware that the Minister has intervened, I am aware that several meetings have been held, the outcome of it we are yet to be officially told".
"I don't want to speculate, let's wait for the actuals and see how thousands of Nigerians will be thrown into unemployment"
"We believe that the money paid to tally clerks and on-board security men are recoverable and this is why we are looking for a time with NPA to discuss this" he said
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