Stories by Bimbola Oyesola 08033246177

Traders in Africa’s biggest market, Alaba International Market, have lost billions of dollars due to the economic recession.

This is even as the stakeholders in the market have decried the presence of roadside traders that disturb the smooth operation of the market.

President of the Alaba International Amalgamated Traders Association, Mr. Felix Nwagu, lamented that the inability to access foreign exchange to import products have forced many of the traders out of the market.

He said, “Before, thousands of trailers entered the market every year, but last year was very bad for us as we had less than 500 trailers bringing goods into the market. Even our partners in China are lamenting as we cannot pay for all the goods earlier ordered.”

Nwagu stated that some traders have now seen the export business as the way out in line with the country’s economic diversification.

He noted that the activities of roadside traders were equally impacting negatively on the business of the traders.

He said, “Alaba is one of the markets in Lagos State where roadside traders do not allow people to do their business. Some people even use the road as haulage; they bring goods and trucks and dump them on the road.

“In the evening, street traders will occupy the entire vicinity and these things have their implications; the place is always looking dirty. Alaba is an international market, the biggest in Africa and we need to make it look like one.”

Nwagu also called for construction of access roads into the market, since there was just one link road in and out of the market: “There are other roads that the government can open up.  We are urging the government to commence work on the road that links Alaba to the express road. Again, if you go to the back of the electrical side of Alaba market, you will observe seven wooden bridges.

“These are places that the government can construct a good road for people to pass.  All these things will help ease the traffic congestion we usually have at Alaba market,” he said.

The market president likewise charged government to beef up security in the market to secure the lives and property of stakeholders. 


Maritime workers call for repair of port roads

Workers in the maritime sector of the economy at the weekend called for the immediate rehabilitation of roads leading to the ports to save businesses in the sector from total collapse.

This is even as they held a rally in support of their leaders.

The workers, under the umbrella of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), dressed in their white shirts and trousers, staged a protest in front of the first gate leading into the port with placards to express their displeasure as well as show solidarity to their President, Mr. Anthony Nted.

Some of the placards read, “Our leaders are accountable and transparent’’, “We pass vote of confidence on our leaders” and “No fracas, no friction, we are one union.”

The workers advised the Federal Government to encourage terminal operators to repair the roads leading into the ports and provide tools for their jobs.

Mr. Samuel Golden, a dockworker, said lack of access to the port and disfunctional equipment were a major hindrance to them.

He said, “One of the workers was killed in 2016 on a commercial motorcycle when the driver of a trailer was trying to make a turn. If the road was good, the accident would not have happened.

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“We need tools to do our jobs efficiently, the beam is not working well and we need replacement of some of the equipment.”

Another worker, Mr. Femi Adekoya, said that workers at the port lacked sufficient protective gadget to perform their duty.

“We do our job without kits such as protective shoes and others that will help to guard a worker in case accident occurs,” Adekoya said.

However, Mr. Edward Okpoto, Chairman, Operation, Nigeria Ports Authority, who spoke on the administration of Nted, the outgoing MWUN president, commended him for ensuring that industrial crises were no longer prevalent at the port.

Okpoto said that the outgoing president encouraged workers through training both at the local and international levels.

Also, Mr. Adeleke Sanni, NPA branch president, who read a solidarity and commendation letter for Nted, said the labour leader was passionate about workers’ rights.

Sanni said that the out-going president had maintained peace among the workers and equally trained 6,000 workers, out of which 180 travelled to other parts of the country to enhance their jobs.

He noted that, in spite of malicious accusation by some people in the sector, Nted brought credibility to dock workers and ensured they had better conditions of service.

The president, receiving the commendation letter in his office, urged the workers to remain peaceful to boost productivity at the ports. He said that the forth-coming election of MWUN would be free and fair as nobody had the right to impose any leader on the people.

He warned some managements against undue interference in the affairs of the union, stressing that the workers would not be coersed as the union was a legal entity.


Labour issues 21-day ultimatum to NHIS

Organised labour has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to reversed what it considered the ‘illegal’ secondment of staff to the organisation.

The union, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), warned that it would shut down the offices of the NHIS  throughout the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, unless the management corrects the problem within 21 days.

ASCSN Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, said that all efforts to reach out to the Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf, to have a change of heart and convene a meeting to discuss the alleged illegal secondment of staff into the organisation had been rebuffed.

“As we speak, the Executive Secretary illegally imported officers into the organisation, some of whom were on grade level 10 in their former workplaces and placed them on grade level 15 at the NHIS, positions that are inconsistent with their qualifications and experience despite the fact that there are qualified and competent serving officers that should have been made to fill the positions,” Lawal said.

The ASCSN scribe emphasised that, to date, the union had written four letters to the Executive Secretary on the need to summon a meeting to deliberate and resolve the matter, which he refused to acknowledge.

The ASCSN condemned the manner in which the Executive Secretary brought the officers into the NHIS illegally in flagrant violation of the Public Service Rules and other extant regulations governing the issue of secondment in the public service. 

According to the ASCSN Secretary-General, the office of the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministries of Health, Labour and Employment, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General, State Security Services, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, etc, had equally been notified of the 21-day ultimatum notification  to avail them of the development.

Meanwhile efforts to get the Executive Secretary to comment on the allegation proved abortive as he was reported to be unavailable.