Maritime Workers Seek FG , Terminal Operators Support To Sustain Crew Safety At Nation’s Seaports

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN)  has called on port concessionaires and government agencies to support in the protection and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other preventive items to crew aboard vessels at berth in the nation’s seaports.

 

Comrade Adewale Adeyanju disclosed this on Thursday during the day two exercise of the COVID19 awareness programme put together by the union and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

 

Recall that the exercise started on Wednesday at the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC) where members of the union distributed PPEs to crew on board vessels at berth to contain the COVID19 spread.

 

While distributing the relief materials at Josepdam Port Services Nigeria Limited, owners of terminal A ,Tin Can Island Port on Thursday, Deputy Secretary General of MWUN , Comrade Abudu Eroje who represented the President General, noted the “Federal government is currently battling on how to cure people affected with the coronavirus but on our part we are practical  about the prevention of the virus and that is why we are calling on the stakeholders to support the union and ITF on how to sustain this exercise.

He pointed out that the programme was put together by the union and ITF in furtherance to curb the spread of COVID19  at the seaports.

 

“If ITF and the union  can come up with this laudable innovation, then we expect the terminal operators and government agencies to support in the sustainability of this exercise to further prevent the spread of the Coronavirus before it will disappear.

 

“We look forward for the terminal operators and government agencies to support this innovation because if a vessel leaves our port today ,another will berth with different crew onboard and we don’t know where and when they are coming from.

 

He said the of exercise was to distribute the palliative to seafarers on board vessels in the nation’s territorial waters adding the union and the federation have a common goal to help prevent further spread of the virus among seamen at the seaports.

 

Adeyanju reiterated that a total of nine  vessels benefitted on Wednesday’s  PPEs distribution at the Lagos Ports Complex and Josepdam terminal is the first facility that the Union has visited on Thursday.

The President General said in order to maintain safety of crew in the seaports, there was need to reach out and assist the sailors with the essential materials to protect lives.

He added that the members of the union would also reach out to crew on board vessels at the eastern seaports, starting from next week.

 

“The challenges we had so far is that we trekked from berth 1 to berth 14 at Lagos Port Complex while distributing the PPEs and that will tell you that its the sacrifice we have to pay for us to support in containing the spread of the COVID19 in our ports, Nigerian and the world in general because Seafarers are international workers.

 

He also urged members at terminals to maintain social distancing and regular washing of hands in furtherance to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

 

On his part,Operations Manager , Josepdam Port Services Nigeria Limited, Mr. Sunday. Aindero lauded efforts put in place by the union and ITF saying that the innovation was unique in approach to further prevent the spread of coronavirus.

 

Aindero called on the union and ITF to sustain the exercise as it would go a long in curbing the spread of the virus at the seaports.