National President, Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association; Engineer Matthew Alalade has said that there is a drastic reduction in the number persons who parade themselves as merchant Navy officers in the last one year.
Engineer Alalade told Shipping Position Daily, that since his assumption of office as president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) affiliate association, the need to eradicate fake personnel from the system has been his top most agenda.
National President, Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association; Engineer Matthew Alalade has said that there is a drastic reduction in the number persons who parade themselves as merchant Navy officers in the last one year.
Engineer Alalade told Shipping Position Daily, that since his assumption of office as president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) affiliate association, the need to eradicate fake personnel from the system has been his top most agenda.
Alalade who took over from Captain Thomas Kemewerigha in 2012, is expected to clock two years in June 2014.
According to him, the seafaring outfit now has a data base on all merchant navy officers in the country.
“We are trying to regulate those under us, we have a database for members along with new identity card to know those that belong to our outfit", he told our correspondent.
"We have also been able to change the identity cards of our members in the last six months which all our members have keyed into it since assumption in office", he also added.
He however acknowledged that the maritime trade union outfit, which recently celebrated its 27 years of existence in the Nigerian maritime industry, has been faced with the challenges of officers who parade themselves as merchant navy officers, but added that the story has changed since the present executives took over.
Alalade added that, "whenever security operatives clampdown on someone who claim to be our member, they make enquiries from us to know if truly such a person is genuine or not and this has helped us overtime"
He also urged young seafarers to seek for guidance and counseling from the association headquarters at Olodi Apapa, before reaching an agreement with employers or ship owners, saying that some of the seafarers lack proper documentation with their employers and it has been the bane of the profession.
The president stated that the MLC 2006 will also serve as a turning point for all seafarers in due time, pointing out that the system is about to have a human face that will better the lots of Nigerian seafarers.
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