The influx of foreign labour into Nigeria’s territorial waters will be resisted by the Maritime Workers Union in Akwa Ibom in 2011.

Mr. Ekong Nelson, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Chapter of the Maritime Workers Union, made this position known in an interview with newsmen in Eket, Akwa Ibom, on Thursday.    

He said that foreign labour was allegedly a hindrance to the growth of the maritime industry in Nigeria.

He said that the neglect of the available local manpower by maritime operators was no longer acceptable to the union.

“The lame excuse given by ship owners and other employees that Nigerians are not skilled enough to handle sensitive positions has been punctured with the performance of our members,” he said.

According to him, members of the union compete favourably with their foreign counterparts aboard vessels.

“The Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron where most of our members were trained is ranked among the best of such specialised institutions in terms of capacity and facilities.

“So our people can perform when given the opportunity,” Nelson said.

He said that the lack of infrastructure such as jetties, and innavigable creeks were some of the major problems facing water transportation in Nigeria.

He, however, said that the union had made recommendations to the government to address the problems.

“We have been advising government to find ways of moving the maritime sector forward; we have qualified and competent seafarers trained at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria which ranks among the best in Africa.

“If facilities are provided, the sector will thrive.

“The sector has the potential of solving the employment problem in the country. Another problem is that multinational companies which operate on our waters do not employ from here.