Daily Independent (Lagos)
Andrew Airahuobhor
26 November 2008
Dockworkers, mostly tally clerks and securitymen, under the aegis of Docklabour Pool District are worried that the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) remains adamant to their demand for payment of agreed wages and arrears to them.
Chairman of the Docklabour Pool District, Wasiu Keshinro, told **Daily Independent*** on Tuesday that they embarked on a peaceful protest in Lagos at the weekend over new wages and arrears, which NPA has refused to pay.
He said that tally clerks were supposed to be paid by the NPA through contractors.
In a letter submitted by the protesting dockworkers and signed by Keshinro W. (Chairman), A. Lawal (Vice Chairman) and A. Ogedengbe (Secretary) - all of the Pool District of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, the workers stated "we write to draw the attention of the Federal Government, the EFCC, Senate and House of Representatives to the way and manner the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been maltreating us and also wasting government money."
"It is on record that a document was signed on 31 May 2008 stating the payment of a new rate to dockworkers but up till today, NPA has not implemented the payment; they only paid a small percentage of the workers... The new payment rate, which took effect from 1st June 2008 has not been paid to the tally clerks/security men, who are the eyes of the Federal Government in the ports," the letter stated.
The letter stated further that "We should not forget that the work of these set of dockworkers cannot be overemphasised in the ports because it is also on record that on-board security men were the ones who detected the toxic waste at Koko and tally clerks are the instrument that minimise the alarming rate of under declaration of tonnages and illegal importation of arms at our ports."
The protesters also called on Government to investigate the sum of N500,000,000, which they claimed was paid by NPA on "cargo surveyors who did nothing throughout the period of their contract and even when the contract expired on 31 March 2008, NPA still continued to make the payment."
Deputy President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Rasaki Bakare, who led the protest appealed to NPA to "please pay all the money and accumulated arrears due to the tally clerks and security men so that the port will continue to be conducive for all workers and business activities."
When contacted, the Head of Public Affairs Department of the NPA, Musa Ilia, told Daily Independent that the issue of dockworkers was the responsibility of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
He said that dockworkers, who used to be under Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC) were merged with the National Maritime Administration (NMA) to form NIMASA.
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