Comrade (Dr) Adewale Adeyanju , the President of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria(MWUN) , is already a household name in the maritime labour sector in and outside Nigeria , not just by virtue of the various positions he is holding, but also because of the efficiency , he has brought to bear on such posts .In this interview with SHOLA FADEYI, he speaks on a wide-ranging issues in the maritime sector.
He dwelt on the need for the Federal Government, to expedite action on the payment of the over 2000 retirees of the liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line(NNSL), the need to treat Nigerian seafarers with respect, because of their importance to the nation, economic benefits of re- floating the National Carrier among other matters , emphasizing that the Federal Government , through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) should make Nigeria, to be respected in seafaring, internationally. Excerpts:-
The Federal Government will be assisting to reduce the current high rate of unemployment in the country, if it will approve that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) should float another National Carrier , which would have vessels, that can train Nigerian cadets, who have studied various maritime engineering course abroad, had their sea time training , but can hardly get ships on which they can work, when they get back to Nigeria.
National Carrier
It is a pity that the operations of the defunct NNSL was mismanaged , this, however should not stop Nigeria from having another National Carrier in the maritime sector , since the death of the Nigerian Unity Line which was floated after the liquidation of the NNSL.
The NIMASA as the regulator of shipping and seafarers , including dockworkers should be able to approach the National Assembly , particularly during the presentation of their National Budget or in form of a Bill , to let the legislators know the need for them to float another National Carrier , which vessels would be used to train the cadets and serve as a platform for employment for them , even while the ship would carry Nigerian owned goods and those of other nations and serve as a means of conserving and earning FOREX for Nigeria
Employment
There have been a lot of such cases of cadets who have completed their Sea time in the Philippines, India , Egypt among other foreign courses , buy find it difficult to get employment on returning to Nigeria. Nigeria is a very big country and it has the resources to float a new national Carrier and give meaning to the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) , under which these students are being trained abroad.
But I will advocate that professional seafarers who possess good managerial experience must this time be contracted to manage the proposed National Carrier , while the arrangement to establish it , should be on Public Private Partnership so that they will not go the way of the NNSL and NUL .
Disbursement of CVFF
This is also why we must commend the indigenous shipping companies that have been training and employing some of these students when they return home, because if not for them, the situation would have been worse, and this is why government needs to encourage them by disbursing the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) , so that they can use the facility to expand their fleet and be able to employ more seafarers .
This is because without the role that is played by the indigenous shipping companies in the economy by employing seafarers , seafaring business would have grounded to a halt , apart from their helping to conserve foreign exchange for the country.
Steps NIMASA DG Should Adopt
I think I must commend the new NIMASA DG, for the good foundation he is laying, through his encouragement for seafarers by proposing awards for best cadets, seafarers , best indigenous shipping firms , shípping agents , awards for best employers of labour in seafaring, Manning agents and the likes to encourage them.
But the NIMASA DG needs to partner with indigenous shipping companies, Manning agents in the area of having them to train for Sea time experience and employ those students on which it has invested FOREX under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) , so that money spent on them will not amount to a waste, when they are not employed.
So, the new NIMASA DG has a lot of work to do, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu – led administration, so he has to guarantee renewed hope in seafaring, renewed hope in blue economy , so that the global maritime will know that Nigeria is undergoing a renewed hope in maritime. Because it is worrying that Nigeria for now is not being recognized internationally, in seafaring business.
IMO Council
This is why we have not been able to secure a seat in all these years at the IMO Council , whereas other countries are securing the membership of this IMO Seat. This is despite the fact that we have so many ship captains, seafarers , master mariners among others. The DG of NIMASA needs to gather this experts , like Captains Alao, Ihenacho and the rest, who have spent over 40 years as sailors ,in one place and let them articulate ways in which Nigeria can solve its seafaring issues.
The new NIMASA DG is an industrious person ,a professional, a technocrat who has achieved, having worked successfully with the current President, Bola Tinubu to float LAMATA and as a Commissioner in Lagos in the past and in other positions abroad, before coming to Nigeria.
So, the sky is the limit for him. However, he needs to make sacrifices, ensures he has competent sub-ordinates , he must assemble the past DGs of NIMASA, tap from their knowledge, and consult them for professional advice, on how the Marine and blue Economy sector and Nigeria can move forward, because he has already joined the group of NIMASA DGs.The thing is that , if you want to succeed in any position in life, do not run away from your predecessors, because they have been there and saw things more than you.
There are many DGs who have retired from NIMASA, he needs to seek their advice. He should not listen to politicians as a technocrat. But regardless of what he has achieved on land mode of transport, land is still different from sea , so he needs to combine both experience, because as it is said, we serve on land and sea. He must bring a lot of innovations and new agenda to bear , to improve the lots of the the seafarers as well as seafaring , through training, for them.
Training
Myself that is talking today as the PG of MWUN , it is because of the training and various experience that I have garnered over the years.Also for the NIMASA DG, he must be able to roll- out his programmess of activities soon for the whole world to accept.
He should operate as a professional. Seafaring is an international and professional business, it should not be rubbished or undermined. In the business of seafaring , statements of discouragement have no place at all. It is a profession of discipline, which is required in any profession for one to succeed , otherwise captains who have spent over 40 years at sea would not be able to do so, if they are not disciplined.
Non Payment of NNSL Workers’ Pensions
On the non payment of NNSL workers, it has been due to sheer wickedness on the part of some people that are representing government. Imagine denying people that have sacrificed their lives during war time, the privilege of their rights. When the company was liquidated, what happened to the Asset.The first thing that ought to have been considered is the Assets- which are the workers.
Government did not say that that the n workers would not be paid their pensions and gratuities when the company was liquidated..in fact the matter was taken to court, and the court gave rulings in their favour and when I became the PG , I decided to fight the course, because it is their right. That was why I commended the DG of NIMASA on the verification.
Imagine, that after the verification, the only survival of River Gurara, Alhaji Lawal died .it was very disheartening. It is really painful, if we don’t fight the course, the spirit of those old men would be witch hunting everybody. So I commend the step taken by government in directing the NPA, NIMASA and the Union to go and verify the workers in line with the judgment.
How to Settle the Workers
So, the question now is, how is government going to pay the workers.? But I am using this medium now to tell the government that now that the verification is over, the government should put all machinery in place to make sure that they seat with the union and negotiate pension buy out for all the affected workers.This can be based on the number of years , the affected seafarers have served, among others to be able to get a better package for the retired NNSL workers.
It is only wicked souls that will not sympathise with those workers.But for those who have used red biros to make it impossible for the seafarers to get their pension, all this while, they should remember that the law of karma will judge them one day.They do not treat retirees, in other countries the way, we treat them in Nigeria .Imagine people that have suffered for the country, being denied their pensions and gratuities, despite that they are also Nigerians .
Importance of Seafarers
Without vessels and without seafarers working on them, can anybody have cars and other imported goods in their houses.? In fact seafarers should not be treated as animals. I call them, ‘floating prisoners’, because of the experiences they normally pass through. They would not see their wives, children and other family members for months.
They would not be able to come down for another one year on the sea.So , they are prisoners , prisoners of conscience and somebody will now seat on their rights, not untill the Supreme Court gives judgment that they should be paid.So when I look at the case, I saw that it was a genuine one. So, I commend the Minister of Marine and Blue economy for giving that directive that they should be verified for the payment of their dues.
In the next few weeks you will be hearing from the MWUN again on the payment of the NNSL workers for the fact that verification has already been made across all the ports and even in Abuja.There is a need to know all the seafarers affected. However the Committee needs to meet again to come out with their Blue Print and their report and the Uníon will take it up from there.
Verification of the Pensioners
There is no way, you would have verified the seafarers and the next stage would not be for the Minister of Blue Economy and its relevant agencies to seat with the MWUN to discuss how the retirees would be paid and how much. Though I do not want to pre-empt the time they would be paid , but I know it is possible it could be the end of this year.
At the Seafarers Conference in Lagos recently, The Chairman Senate Committee on Maritime and Blue economy Senator Eshinlokun, who was at the occasion , was really interested in the matter when he got to know that 2000 NNSL workers are yet to be paid their pension.They are even more, because some of them have died.
That was why he said they should bring the budget and the National Assembly will give it express approval. The retired NNSL workers are part of Nigerian families, so we should feel for them.Imagine, during the verification , some of the children of the late retired workers who participated in the verification , did not even know their fathers physically, but only saw their pictures in their discharge books.
