Disengaged NPA Workers Vow To Continue Protest

Protesting former employees of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Port Harcourt Port, have vowed to continue their protest until the management pay their disengagement entitlements.

The retrenched workers, numbering over 100, barricaded the entrance to the administrative department of the Port popularly called “Basket House” with Palm front leaves tied across the road. According to them,  they had endured for so long and could not bear it any longer as most of their members have died of hunger while families of some are in disarray following the financial constraints as a result of the non-payment.

The disengaged staffers who paralysed administrative activities on Monday, complained that they were retrenched since 1991, and efforts to persuade the management to pay them their gratuity, pension and redundancy benefits was treated with levity, adding that a Supreme Court’s order on May 11, 2007, urging them to pay the ex-workers all their benefits was also faulted by the authorities.

The Tide correspondent who spoke with the Chairman of the 1991 Disengaged employees of NPA, Rivers Port, Mr. Jonathan Okonkwo gathered that a joint meeting between the management and the executives of the former workers generated serious embarrassment as the authorities of NPA promised to pay them N50,000 each on compassionate ground.

“That promise is inhuman and a disregard to the court of law, and we have vowed to continue with the protest no matter the intimidation from the law enforcement agents”, Mr. Okonkwo said.

He said it was 21 years since after their disengagement and for the management to threat them in this manner was unacceptable and should be condemned in its totality.

When contacted, the Public Affairs Officer of the Port Harcourt Port, Barbra Achika said the management was on top of the situation and would soon come up with a decision.

It will be recalled the former workers in December embarked on such protest nationwide.

Collins Barasimeye