• Union denies mounting toll points at port
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has passed a vote of confidence in its President-General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, as he contests for Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the forthcoming 13th delegates’ conference.
The dockworkers spoke at a rally in Lagos to support the Branch President’s re-election.
Coordinator of the Concerned Maritime Workers, Comrade Jide Alfred, said the leadership style of Adeyanju was quite commendable, urging him to do more.
Alfred said: “There are loads of transformation in the last few years under your watch as President -General of the Maritime Union.
“We are in a joyful mood and we are satisfied with your performance in the last few years and that is why we came to pass vote of confidence.
“We are here to support you and to encourage you to go for the higher post.’’
In a related event, MWUN has denied the allegation of its mounting illegal toll points at the ports, stating that this was designed to malign their good image.
The union, in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Felix Akingboye, said the accusation by the Council of Maritime Trade Unions and Associations (COMTUA), alleging that the union mounted 20 illegal toll points was not true.
The union, referring to a publication (not The Nation), said MWUN would not join issues with COMTUA, but that it had to correct the wrong impression created by COMTUA to tarnish its reputaion.
The union claimed a former member of the association was behind the accusation.
“MWUN is a partner in growing our economy and ensuring peace in all our ports, terminals, jetties and oil and gas platforms, which inform our unblemished decade-long record of maintaining industrial peace in the maritime sector,” the MWUN scribe said.
He stated that the accusation was the union of mounting “tolls of 20 checkpoints from Coconut Bus stop to Tin Can Island Gate — a distance of about 1,000m, was a figment of myopic imagination”.
He stated: “Comrade Adeyanju Adewale, president-general, MWUN, has over the years built a reputation based on probity in public service. He has contributed in no small measure to the growth, sustenance and development of the maritime sector.”
The SG reasoned that this could be attested to by the myriads of accolades conferred on him by the government and other relevant stakeholders in the maritime industry and too drag his name into this is wicked and unfortunate.
“For the sake of clarity, MWUN confines its activities to areas within its jurisdictional scope, one of which is haulage, superintended by one of our highly trained and respected union officials, Comrade Taofeek Shorinola.
“Our well-trained members will, and have not in any circumstance gone against the law, as they ply their trade within the exclusive economic zone of the ports and cannot be found on the roads outside the port vicinity.”
