“Those who were arrested recently by the Police never said they were Nigeria Merchant Navy personnel”
Comrade John Okpono is the Secretary General, Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association. In this interview with Shipping Position Daily, he speaks about issues concerning the frequent harassment of merchant navy personnel, and other sundry issues.
What are your expectations for the Maritime Industry in the year 2022?
In 2022, we expect much because 2019 down to 2021 were years of COVID which had negative effects. Our expectations in 2022 are: We expect that the Deep Blue Project which is all about bringing the menace of armed robbery and sea piracy into naught; will improve the security situation of the industry. We want NIMASA to look at the Cabotage regime so as to be implemented to the letter. The Cabotage regime 12 years back has not given Nigerian seafarers what they deserve. We see this as more of a curse than a blessing, because we still have a lot of qualified but unemployed seafarers outside. So in 2022, we expect that NIMASA as a regulatory agency will ensure that the Cabotage Act is fully implemented for the betterment of Nigerian seafarers. More so, we expect better synergy between the union and sister unions as well as the regulatory agencies in collaboration with the stakeholders to ensure that Nigerian seafarers are not neglected. We also expect that the regulatory agencies will open collaboration with ship owners so that they can benefit from the CVFF because it brings indigenous ship owners to limelight. Since the President has promised to give us cash incentives, we also request, pray and wish that such incentives will also come to the maritime industry for the purchase of some vessels and spare parts, so that we can benefit. All these and many are what we are expecting.
For the purpose of clarification, who is a Merchant Navy Officer?
A merchant Navy officer is that person that has decided to take a career in ocean-going vessels in water as a whole. They can be employed or engaged in coastal waters, offshore deep waters, and security vessels. They are purely those who work onboard vessels as well as other administrative levels.
What is the difference between Merchant Navy Personnel and other groups?
I don’t understand what you mean by other groups. The Merchant Navy that we know which is recognized by the Trade Union Act is that body given the power and authority to operate and take care of the welfare and well-being of Nigerian Seafarers. Hence, we are affiliated with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and part of the conventions concerning the maritime and seafaring environment. But for others, I don’t understand what you mean by others.
There has been a hullabaloo as regards which of the groups is recognized by the government.
Those who were arrested recently by the Police never said they were Nigeria merchant navy personnel. They claimed their bill has passed the second reading at the National Assembly. We know who we are, we are professionals. As professionals, we are seafarers. But the definition of ITF and global definition, a seafarer is that officer that works onboard a vessel. That is our job.
What is the association’s position about the proliferation of maritime and nautical schools?
With the population of Nigeria, one will be forced to say we have not even got enough public and private maritime institutions. What the union is saying is that these institutions must be of standard and must be approved. There are some preliminary and minimum conditions you must meet, you cannot just wake up and establish an institution. There are some universities that some courses are not approved. Some Universities are not even accredited. So you have to be careful with doing one or two courses in that university. For instance, in Nigeria, there are some private schools that if the Government encourages them they can do better. So there is a need for us to encourage the private maritime academies. Why we are saying that, we are also telling the owners not to rush but meet the minimum conditions before they open because these Cadets are going out there to be ambassadors of Nigeria. Also, these private academies draw their curriculum and approval from the National Board for Technical Education and not from NIMASA. We know full well that when it comes to Certificate of Competency (CoC), NIMASA must be involved. But our position is that with the population, we should encourage more schools but it should be streamlined and meet standards, so that they can stand the test of time and not just mushrooms where they extort and get money from people.
How can the harassment on the part of the Nigerian Merchant Navy be stopped?
The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association is a profession of discipline and our men are men of integrity and great repute. We don’t have any challenges with the Navy, Army or Police. The only challenge that people out there fail to understand is the fake Merchant Navy. Remember that a fake Police must face the wrath of the law. Last week we heard an issue of a fake General (GOC) who was dressed in the Army uniform. That is fake personnel and he will face the weight of the law. It has nothing to do with the genuineness of the Army. For we, seamen and core professionals, we don’t have any issue because a seaman or seafarer works onboard a vessel. We would not stop the Police, Navy and Army from doing their job by apprehending the fake ones; but for us, we don’t have any issue. We have not got any letter from the Nigerian Navy, Police, or any intruder coming here to say we are fake. It is just that general name of “Merchant Navy” that is why people felt we have enmity with others. We don’t have any enmity; we work genuinely with the law. We are affiliates of the Trade Union Congress. The Ministry of Transportation knows us and we know them. We draw up NJIC meant for seafarers’ welfare. We have a good synergy with NIMASA and the Registrar of the Trade Union. We are always present at the delegate meetings. We have the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria for the ratings and the Nigerian Merchant Navy for the officers. Every other Merchant Navy you hear; we term them to be fake, which is not synonymous to the Nigerian Merchant Navy. We have fake people everywhere even Customs officers and even journalists.
What is the relationship between you and the Merchant Navy group headed by one Captain Alfred Oniye?
Looking at the gazette from the first page to the last page, there is nowhere two Merchant Navies were mentioned. The only two bodies mentioned there are the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria; for the rating officers as far as the welfare, employment opportunity, and condition of service is concerned. The other one is the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association. We are not a CAC-registered body. So, I fail to believe that there is another body for the welfare and wellbeing of officers as far as Nigeria is concerned.
I draw you back to the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), a document that is drawn out of Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (as amended 2010). We are signatories to that document. That is where the rights and privileges of Nigerian seafarers are dealt with. We are in the West Africa Fishery Convention where West Africa Fishers’ welfare is discussed. We just came back from Senegal between October and November last year from amongst other West African countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast trying to do the needful for an average fisher to have a well and standard means of living.
From the registration and labour angle where issues of workers are discussed, I have not seen any other. I think I request someone to educate me if there was a paragraph or an article from the first to the last that make reference to any other Merchant Navy. We remain the only seafarer representative as far as Nigeria seafaring is concerned. That is why we are always together with the Maritime Workers Union. I have not seen any other group apart from the two of us and I think if you get to NIMASA, it is the same thing.
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Is the Association in support of the establishment of a Coast Guard?
The idea of the Coast Guard to us is not rational, because according to the Coast Guard Bill, they said they want to protect the creeks and the coasts. Who are the people working in these Creeks and Coast? It is the Merchant Navy. So why should we go against anybody that wants to assist us in making it a well-secured place for us? What we are saying is that, first thing first our consent should be sought. If they feel the Coast Guard functions are to provide security for seafarers who fall under our purview, then they should know how to channel the cause, so we can jointly look at it. We are seafarers and we are also representing other seafarers. There is something that is unique to us here and that is the Checkoff dues which are only for unions. No other company, no matter how big you are, except you are registered under the Trade Union Act, you cannot collect Checkoff dues. That is the law.
What is the reaction of the Association towards the issue of Piracy on Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea?
We frown at it. Generally, security is a global issue. Everywhere in the world, we have security challenges and that is why we as a body, appeal to other well-meaning Nigerians to support the Deep Blue Project that is being run by the Ministry of Transportation through NIMASA. This is because when you want to sabotage something, we don’t know who will be the next target. Let us give it a trial. I think the project is to train Nigerians and handover to Nigerians. That was the briefing we had; that the expertise will come, bring the facilities, train people and hand over fully to Nigerians after two to three years. Who are these Nigerians? It is you and I. Any seafarer who is interested in security should apply and possibly might be considered first, because of your exposure to water. Therefore, the Union is saying let us support the Deep Blue Project because a lot of money and capital has gone into that project. It will not be ideal for any meaningful organization to say, let us abandon it. We should see how best we can put our input to make it serve as the best security outfit for Nigerian waters.
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