Maritime
Disengaged Dockworker Wants NPA To Probe Severance Committee
An aggrieved disengaged dock-worker in Rivers State, Mr Ilomabo Taylor, has called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to investigate the poor severance package paid to the disengaged workers by the NPA Severance Package Payment Committee.
The 67-year old dockworker expressed surprise that the committee was paying every disengaged worker the sum of N400,000 only irrespective of the years put in.
Mr Taylor, who is a disengaged tally clerk, told The Tide in Port Harcourt, that he put in over 40 years in service of the NPA but was only paid N400,000 by the payment committee.
He called on the NPA to investigate the committee responsible for the payment, insisting that the amount paid to the disengaged dockworkers is unthinkable and ridiculous.
Taylor alleged that the severance package for each disengaged dockworker was about N5 million, and wondered why the amount was reduced to less than half a million naira.
He lamented that since he was disengaged from the service, he had found it difficult to cater for his family or pay rent.
“I had suffered since 2015 when I was disengaged with others; no money to pay rent, children school fees, buy medications and other bills”, Taylor lamented.
He disclosed that five of his colleagues died before the payment due to shock “because they heard that the money was less than half a million naira”.
The Deputy Secretary General Organising, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (NWUN), Comrade Abudu Eroje, had told The Tide two weeks ago, that the Federal Government approved 400,000 only for each of the disengaged dockworkers across the country.
Eroje described the disengaged workers as concessionaire staff (contract staff) to the NPA and admonished them to invest their severance package meaningfully. The Tide reports that over 309 persons were earmarked to be paid in Rivers Port Complex out of a total 2,100 disengaged dockworkers across the six ports in the country.
By: Chinedu Wosu
The ongoing hunger protests and EndBad Governance in Nigeria embarked upon by Nigerians have paralysed seaport activities across the six Seaports in the country.
Ports operational activities were shutdown at the six nation’s seaports: Tin Can Island Port, Apapa Port, Onne Port, Rivers Port Complex, Warri and Calabar Port.
Àgrieved Protesters took to the streets nationwide to demand an end to economic hardship and bad governance.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which began in major cities across the country on Monday, August 1,2024, crippled socio-economic activities and forced shops, business centres and commercial activities to shutdown, including air and seaports.
Following the hunger protests, maritime activities were paralysed as all the busy seaports were deserted by port users.
Ships birthed at the ports were not discharging cargos, neither did trucks load consignment to their destinations and to the consumers.
Seagoing vessels with cargos were stranded at the sea as marine workers were not on duty to carry out their marine operations.
Heavy security presence was noticed at major ports, including Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, and Port Harcourt as operations were grounded to a near halt.
Aggrieved youths, students and civil society organisations stormed major streets in various parts of the country, demanding that President Bola Tinubu should, as a matter of urgency, review or discard some of his harsh economic policies, which have brought hardship to Nigerians.
The protesters armed with various placards chanted solidarity songs, defled heavy downpour to protest harsh governance and hardship in the country.
They called on the President Tinubu government to review its economic policies, saying many Nigerians have been subdued by poverty and frustration since the advent of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
By: Chinedu Wosu
The Federal Government has said it spent over N138 billion in fish import bill in nine months in 2023, saying its yearly fish import bill stands at 2.4 million metric tonnes.
Government said such import bill drains the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Director, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Wellington Omoragbon, stated this during a courtesy visit by the National Working Group on Gender and Blue Economy.
He called on government to tackle challenges facing fishery and aquaculture, including dredging activities.
To address the challenge, Omoragbon said government is launching initiatives to increase local capacity, including locally-designed technologies such as storage facilities and inclusion of women and youths in production.
The Director emphasised the need for state and local governments to prioritise fisheries projects, particularly in supporting women and youth as 70 per cent of the population lack necessary support in the fishing industry.
He highlighted the need for market and technology development to reduce reliance on fish imports.
“The government plans to intervene in the fishing sector, signing an MoU with the Ministry of Water Resources to utilise the country’s water bodies for fishing”, he said.
He acknowledged the skill gap in the sector and called for a need assessment to identify targeted issues across fishing communities.
National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has charged the Federal Government to implement the Single Window Environment (SWE) to curb corruption-related problems at the nation’s seaports.
In a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Amiwero noted that apart from curbing corruption-related problems at the seaports, implementation of the SWE has many other benefits.
The Council listed some of the benefits to include provision of standardised information, single entry point, and reduced malpractice associated with import-export and transit-related regulatory requirements.
NCMDLCA also added that “the SWE will help facilitate the accelerated flow of service in Customs release and Cargo clearance, enhance the availability and handling of information, and harmonise better sharing of relevant data across Government system.
“It will reduce malpractice associated with Import- Export and Transit regulated requirements, provide trade related government information and receive payment of duties and other charges”.
The Council added that the provision of Section (1a) of the Customs Act provide for lead agency and one stop-shop process under the control of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The implementation of SWE is expected to simplify the administrative process, reduce costs, and enhance the availability and handling of information, making trading easier for both government and private sector stakeholders.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic
