Group To Support MWUN Over 21-Day Ultimatum , Accuses Shipping Lines Of Frustrating Operators

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has thrown its weight behind the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) over the 21 days ultimatum issued to shipping companies to provide holding bays for haulage trucks.

The group reiterated to join the industrial action in order to address the perennial gridlock along the port corridors.

The President of APFFLON, Mr. Frank Ogunojemite in a chat with our correspondent said that foreign shipping lines and terminal operators have continously despised government’s directives.

Otunba Ogunojemite said, “Government is the cause of the problem. For example, the Nigerian Shippers’Council has been given to regulate but do they have legislative power to sanction them? What has governmemt done about this

“The shipping companies and terminal operators are taking governmemt and people of Nigeria for granted and endanger our lives and affect the economic prospects of the country.

“There must be strict governmemt policy to regulate this and empower Nigerian Shippers’ Council to have legislative power to sanction and there must be collaboration among maritime stakeholders.

“Before they decided to go on strike, there must have been a dialogue between them but they probably remained adamant

“In this case,believe me, I support the strike and we are ready to join the strike if that is the language they understand to normalise the situation import, why not,” he confirmed.

According to him, the reckless act of the multinationals have severally endangered the lives of Nigerians.

Recall that the Maritime Workers Union had on Sunday petitioned the federal government to prevail on the shipping companies to acquire container holding bays to avoid using trucks as holding bays as well as to avoid causing avoidable traffics on the port access roads.

By Roland Ekama