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Minister Wants Laws To Protect Workers’ Future

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The minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has advised union leaders to pursue an act of parliament that will protect workers against uncertainties in the event of collapse of organisation
Sirika gave the advice at a one-day union retreat organised by the Joint Union Negotiating Council (JUNC), Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja, Tuesday.
The theme of the retreat is, ‘’Dynamic Labour Leader: An Asset to Organisational Growth.’’
The minister was represented at the occasion by Mr Akin Olateru, Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).
He urged the union leaders to lobby the National Assembly to come up with an enabling act that would protect workers against uncertainties in their establishments.
The minister stressed the need for leadership of organised labour to develop strategy that could secure the future of Nigerian workers through Act of parliament.
He also urged the unions to continue to work together in unity towards fighting a common cause and their welfare.
He added that unions should go beyond mere negotiations and asking for salary increase to secure the future of their members in the work place.
The minister said that when the defunct Nigerian Airways was liquidated, the airlines’ staff in UK got their full entitlements, while those in Nigeria could not because of lack of strong laws that protect workers.
According to him, it is good to fight for money but it is better to look inward towards solving problems and developing workers’ skills.
“The unions should come together in fighting for the same course and look at how to solve this constant problem.
“Today, a company goes down, an employee is left high and dry. Yesterday was NITEL, yesterday was Nigerian Airways but do you know who is next?
“So, something fundamental has to be done to prevent such things from reoccurring.
“Unions need to come together and lobby National Assembly to come up with the right enabling act that will protect workers in the event of collapse of any company.
“It is a common thing in Nigeria because company comes, company goes, and employers are just there,’’ he said.
Sirika said that the contributions of trade union to the growth of every organisation was very important, saying that the outcome of the retreat would serve as springboard to addressing labour matters in the industry.
Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, said that unions are partners and key players in the decision-making process of both government and corporate bodies.
Zakari said that the workable and realistic working relationship with the unions in the ministry had yielded desired results, urging them to sustain and consolidate on the success.
According to him, management will always work closely with the unions with the objective of sustaining the existing harmonious industrial atmosphere in the ministry.
The Co-Joint Council Chairman of JUNC, Mr Hector Nnadi, said that the challenge of the labour unions in the country was the absence of proactive and dynamic labour leaders.
Nnadi said the essence of the retreat was to do an appraisal of their activities in 2017, know where they were and produce a communiqué that would be useful to their progress.
He said that if the Federal Government could give bail out to state governments, it should also consider the federal workers with the same bail out to uplift them from adverse economic situations.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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