The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) says the planned shutting down of Nigerian ports by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) will cripple the country’s economy.
ANLCA’s Acting President, Dr Kayode Farinto, in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos, urged the Federal Government to prevent such from happening.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, ordered MWUN to shut down the nation’s seaports and terminals over long unresolved issues with government agencies and operators in the sector.
A 14-day strike notice was given to the federal government to this effect.
The notice was over the refusal of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to obey Marine Notice of 2014 and extant Stevedoring regulations, government’s refusal to pay aged seafarers monthly pension in spite of court ruling, among other grievances.
The strike notice took effect on March 6, and was issued to the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, and his Labour and Employment counterpart, Sen. Chris Ngige.
According to Farinto, government should not forget that the President-General of MWUN, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, is now the Deputy President of the NLC.
“My advice to government is to listen to them because not listening will cripple the economy of the country.
“This will tell us now that going forward, labour is now becoming more powerful than they used to be.
“The call in the port now, NLC will join them and that means it will not be in the maritime industry alone, they can decide to say every worker should not go to work,” he said.
Farinto stated that if the ports were shut down, cargo would not be able to move out of the port, adding that the adverse effect would be enormous.
He said: “It is better for it not to happen, and we pray the union is being listened to.
“I know the government is listening, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and Nigerian Shippers’ Council will have to move, to see how to address the issue.
“I just want to believe that Adeyanju is our man and a grassroots one. Except where necessary, or where the government refused to listen, I know he will want to do something.
“This will have an adverse effect on the economy and I just don’t want to imagine what will happen.
“We should not be talking about this right now, it is too early in the year.”
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