MWUN Threatens To Petition FG Over NIMASA Failure To Renew Bio Metric ID Card

By Roland Ekama ,Lagos

Dissatisfied with the poor administrative performance , the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) is set to petition the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and that of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige over failure of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to issue new biometric Identity Cards for members of dockworkers and Seamen branches

The biometric Identity card was last issued in 2014 but yet to be renewed five years after.

Lack of the identity cards for the union members have been adduced to the reasons dockworkers could not identify those who are registered at the seaports, even as the apex maritime regulatory agency has been accused as the major cause behind the broaching of containers at the terminals.

Recall that the President General of the union , Comrade Adewale Adeyanju had given a marching order for all districts and units head to fish out unregistered dockers from port operations , saying , those behind the vandals and pilfering of consignments can be linked to such people at the seaports.

A top official of the Union who does not want his name in print told our correspondent that MWUN had written on two occasions to the agency without positive response.

According to him, the union has engaged the agency on myriads occasions on the need to renew the bio metrical data but NIMASA consistently gave deaf ears to their demand .

He lamented that attitude of the current leadership of NIMASA is full disdain and disrespectful to maritime stakeholders which must be addressed by the federal government.

“This is the letter but I will not allow you to sight it but I will read it loud and clear to you.

“The attitude of the current leadership of NIMASA sends negative signal to the international community but maybe if we should write directly to the federal government they will sit up and address issues bothering on port operations.”

He added that container broaching in the port has been several blamed on the dockworkers meanwhile there are scoundrels who enter the ports without proper documentation.

He however affirmed that ” The draft has been written and in no distance time , the attention of the federal government would be drawn to the current situation on how the management team of NIMASA led by Dr. Peterside Dakuku has refused to issue fresh identity card to the labour workers at the ports.

Continuing, he said : “As a result, the Union has decided to write a save our soul letter to the ministers to direct NIMASA to issue the ID cards.

The source added that the influx of people into the port arose from failure of the agency to do the needful which would have helped to identify and profile the people coming and going out of the Port on daily basis.