By Bimbola Oyesola
Nigeria may have lost over $2 billion in revenue earnings yesterday, due to total nationwide shut down of port operations by maritime workers in protest over the bill for an Act to repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Act and establish the Nigerian Ports and Harbours’ Authority (NPHA).
This is even as the two in-house unions, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Maritime branch of Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC), have threatened an indefinite shut down of the sector should the National Assembly fail to discontinue the plan to pass the bill into law.
The workers who accused the National Assembly of sidelining the public and the unions, who are major stakeholders in the deliberation on the bill, warned they would resist any attempt to sell the nation’s ports to few individuals, adding that the bill was a threat to national security.
In Lagos, as early as 5.30am in the morning, the workers brandishing several placards, some of which read, “Harbour is not for sale”; “National Assembly stop this bill because it is dangerous to our national security”, among others, converged on the Apapa Wharf and closed the entrance to forestall any commercial activities.
Addressing newsmen, President General of maritime workers, Adewale Adeyanju, and his counterpart from the senior staff, Benson Adegbeyeni, said there was impending threat to the survival of the nation’s ports and the job security of their members by what they called the detestable bill pending at the National Assembly for the repeal of the NPA Act, Cap 126, LFN 2004, and establish the Nigerian Port and Harbours Authority to provide for the ownership management and development of ports and harbours and for related matters.
The duo lamented that since the presentation of the bill to the House of Representatives, none of the stakeholders, including the two unions in the maritime sector, which the bill stands to affect, were invited or notified to speak on behalf of their members.
They further stated that the bill summarily seeks to repeal the Act of 1955 as amendment, which set up NPA and replaces it with the aforementioned bill which, by all intent and purpose, has grave consequences to the security of the nation, among others.
Adewale said the most disturbing aspect of the bill was that it would throw more than half of their members and other workers into the already saturated labour market, saying this is contrary to the promise of the present government.
According to the unions, “it is important to bring to your notice that the bill portends grave consequences for the security of this country as it cedes harbour, jetty and terminal operations into private hands. This is especially serious in view of the dangerous influx of illegal arms and ammunition into the country, which we all are seeing the consequences as evidenced in insurgency, kidnapping, militancy and other violent crimes.”
The unions insisted that there is nowhere in the world where harbour operations is handed to private operators, saying it is highly sensitive and exclusive preserve of government besides being a high foreign exchange earner.
Maritime workers, therefore, appealed to the National Assembly to throw away the bill, insisting that it seeks to do more harm to the majority and favour the few individuals promoting it.
“We are determined to ensure that Nigeria and Nigerians are not shortchanged by this obnoxious bill. We appeal to the National Assembly to listen to the voice of reason and obey the wish of the people,” he said.