Prior to the emergence of the Comrade Onikolease Irabor-led national executive council of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in 2001, the union went through hell in the hands of the then-leadership of Comrade Uzoije Ukaumunna who was forced out of office through the instrumentality of the Federal Government.
Prior to the emergence of the Comrade Onikolease Irabor-led national executive council of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in 2001, the union went through hell in the hands of the then-leadership of Comrade Uzoije Ukaumunna who was forced out of office through the instrumentality of the Federal Government.
The removal of the Ukaumunna executives was reportedly based on petitions from users and providers of port services to the effect that the leadership of Maritime Workers union of Nigeria has become a ‘terrorist organisation’; intimidating shipping companies, harassing the management of Nigerian Ports Authourity( which was at that time, the master stevedore) and other groups.
It was at that time that akugbe became legalized in which case union leaders were directly involved in placement of dockworkers at the various terminals. For doing this, the leadership (or more precisely) the president general puts less men on the job, collected wages for the men, paid them what he felt was okay for them and pocketed the rest.
At the peak of Comrade Ukaumunna’s tenure, he (or is it the union?) was allowed by the then managing director of NPA, Engr. Wali S. Ahmed to operate a shuttle bus system, moving port users form the Apapa port main gate to the terminal up to the ‘Bull Nose’ end of the port.
There were allegations of ‘hijack’ of incoming vessels pending when their agents would pay a ransom. The union leaders were accused of all manners of illegalities. The then-president general had his own ‘army of bodyguards’ which dealt with perceived enemies.
These unfriendly practices which made the union president general ably buoyed by dockworkers to become a god eventually got to the ears of then –federal government which moved against them and constituted a caretaker committee of which the publisher of this newspaper was a member.
The rest is history as the process led to the emergence of a ‘new union’ under the leadership of Comrade Onikolease Irabor in March 2001.
No matter what anyone says, the union, under Irabor was transformed from being a ‘terror’ to a recognized and respected member of the shipping community whose opinions are always sought by stakeholders.
Arguably, the darkest moment in the eight year journey was the inadvertent mass job loss at the Nigerian Ports Authourity as a result of concession, but the question is: Could the union have resisted concession, especially on the face of the fact that port concession was an integral part of the holistic government policy of engendering a private sector-driven economy.
This is the robust union that Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel inherited about three year ago in Benin, Edo state capital. Shortly after the national executive council of MWUN was constituted, it was time to elect leaders in the union’s four branches.
And recently, about two of the branches marked two years anniversary of the tenure of their executives, also the president general was reported to have donated nine units of 18-seater buses to the different units of the union.
Beyond the ceremonies that are associated with the anniversary is the fact that the MWUN and its four branches, namely: NPA, Dockworkers have not deviated from the enviable standard that Comrade Onikolease Irabor set for them all through his eight years tenure.
It is to the credit of the Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel-led executives that there has not been any industrial unrest since they took over in 2009; rather the union and its branches have enjoyed a very harmonious relationship with their employers. The union leadership also enjoys the support and confidence of their members; this is demonstrated by the fact that there has been no reported case of uprising at any of the secretariats of the branches and the union’s national headquarters in Apapa.
There has also been peace at the ports and at the various terminals all over the country; one can only ask that the leadership of the union continue to educate its members, especially the dockworkers branch to remain peaceful.
Recent media reports bordering on disquiet at some terminals and threats of industrial unrests will only tarnish the new image which Comrade Irabor built and which he bequeathed to Comrade Nted.
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