Bimbola Oyesola, 08033246177

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Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to remove all trucks parked or abandoned on the Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway and make access roads to the nation’s seaports motorable, failing which the union’s members would embark on a nationwide strike.
In a statement by Adewale Adeyanju and Felix Akingboye, president-general and secretary-general, respectively, MWUN threatened that, if by Monday, February 5, the federal government fails to meet the union’s demands, all port operations would be shut from Tuesday, February 6.
According to the statement: “On May 14, 2017, the union issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to fix the access roads to the nation’s seaports, especially the Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway that leads to Apapa and Tin-Can ports. Before the expiration of the ultimatum, the management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) met with us and pleaded with us that they were doing something to fix the roads, especially the Apapa and Tin-Can Ports axis of the Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway. We were assured that remedial works would be done on the road because it was not captured in the 2017 national budget. We decided to suspend our planned industrial action. We have waited and endured very harrowing experiences on the access roads to the ports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri, hoping upon hopes that the government would, at least, do a quick-fix on the roads to make them motorable.
“Nine months after we suspended the ultimatum, the roads have completely deteriorated and, in addition, have claimed several lives and properties. In fact, we lost two of our members on the Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway. The Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway has completely failed and is unmotorable. From Berger Bridge, there are countless craters and potholes on the road. To worsen the already terrible situation, from Otto Wharf, the roads have become parks and mechanic workshops for heavy duty trucks parked and abandoned by drivers and owners in the last few months. People now defecate, sleep, cook, wash clothes, bathe and do whatever they like on the road. As a result, the road is now a safe haven for criminals who sieze every opportunity to attack, assault and rob innocent Nigerians, including our members, who trek to and from work daily on the road because it is no longer motorable.
“Today, only a few vessels now berth at our seaports as most shipowners and businessmen prefer our neighbouring ports especially Cotonou. While our neighbouring ports are booming, our ports have been deserted because of the failed access roads to the ports, the gateway to the nation’s economy. Last week, we took an assessment tour of the road and, to our dismay, the Apapa axis of the road said to be under reconstruction by a consortium of private individuals, which we understand that NPA has paid the substantial part of N270 million pledge it made on the reconstruction of the road, is at a standstill.
“In fact, from what we saw, at the rate the works on the road are going, that part of the road will not be completed in the next two years. Business activities at the ports are now next to nothing. We cannot continue like this. It is completely unacceptable to us as a major stakeholder. We are afraid that, if things continue like this, they will lead to retrenchment of workers, among others, and we cannot afford to lose any of our members to joblessness.”
The union stressed that it has no option than to renew its suspended ultimatum and issue a seven-day notice to the Federal Government to remove all the trucks on Oshodi-Apapa dual carriageway and fill the craters and potholes on the access roads to all the ports to make the roads motorable.
“If by Monday, February 5, 2018, the trucks are not removed and the craters and potholes filled, the union will withdraw all its members from the ports nationwide until these two demands are met,” MWUN said.