About nine years after the nation's ports were concessioned to private managers, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has once again cried out that the exercise has not been beneficial to its members, especially in terms of job provision.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos on Tuesday, the NPA branch president of MWUN, Comrade Leke Sanni lamented that much is still left to be desired of the concessioning exercise.
About nine years after the nation's ports were concessioned to private managers, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has once again cried out that the exercise has not been beneficial to its members, especially in terms of job provision.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos on Tuesday, the NPA branch president of MWUN, Comrade Leke Sanni lamented that much is still left to be desired of the concessioning exercise.
Speaking on plans by NPA to privatize pilotage activities, Comrade Leke said that a committee comprising of MWUN, the NPA Senior Staff Association and others, have just returned from a tour of all major ports in the country to ascertain the situation of things.
The union president said that a meeting between the committee and the management of the NPA is scheduled to hold this week to deliberate on what the next step of the NPA would be.
Speaking on the port concession exercise, he noted that "there is still much to be desired because during the concessioning period, we were told that jobs will be created, but as it is, enough jobs have not been created"
"Concessionaires are making money but the money they are making is not commensurate with the quality of the services they are rendering" he said.
Continuing on the planned privatization of ancillary services by NPA, Comrade Leke explained that: "We have just submitted our report, until we sit down tomorrow or next, the issue of pilotage is a very delicate issue about the NPA" added.
He said that the committee had visited Delta Port, Warri, Onne, Calabar, Port Harcourt ports to see things for themselves.
Comrade Sanni charged the new managing director of the NPA, Mallam Ado Bayero Sanusi to look into pending requests of the union that were not addressed by his predecessor.
Some of the issues according to him include the issue of promotion of staff of NPA.
"We are supposed to have promotion last year December and this is June but they are yet to start it. We agreed that we should be having promotions twice in a year. The issue of financial guide, increase in salary and other allowances are there too"
"All these things left undone concerning staff welfare should be looked into critically", Leke said.
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