SCORECARD: Comrade  Yousou Gives Two Years Stewardship As President NMNO&WTSSA

By Roland Ekama

 

The National President of Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNO&WTSSA), Comrade Bob Yousou has stated  that relocation of the unions’ national secretariat and account audited by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been some of the major achievements in the last two years in office.

 

Engr. Yousou stated this on Monday, as part of his achievements since assuming the leadership role in February, 2020.

 

Recalling his achievements, he said the greatest among them was moving the association’s secretariat from where it was to the hub of maritime activities.

 

 

The president averred that some members did not believe he could do it when he said it was one of the mandate he intended to achieve if given the opportunity to lead the union.

 

Recall that  Yousou relocated the national secretariat to Oscar Ibru Road, Apapa barely a year of his administration as national president of the union from Palace Road Olodi Apapa Lagos.

 

Other achievements , according to him, include; purchase of new sets of computer systems for the use of the secretariat and additional vehicle for staff

 

On increment of secretariat staff salaries,  he said such  was intended to motivate the workers toward efficiency and productivity.

 

According to him, building a robust relationship among sister unions, and  the regulatory agency and other critical stakeholders in the industry was another form achievements recorded in the last two years of his administration.

 

“In less than two years in office for the efforts,  Merchant Navy was awarded the Best Maritime Association of the Year, 2021 by a transport media publisher, Transport Today.” he added.

 

For the first time, Engr. Yousou said the union held its 1st Annual Seafarers Colloquium in Lagos in 2021,  adding that the programme was organised to lecture Nigerian seafarers on issues that bother on their well being, mental health and importance of union activities for their  own development.

 

He enthused that the union was adequately represented at the ITF West Africa Fishers Seminar/Convention that held in Dakar, Senegal, which the President described as a great achievement on the international scene.

 

He quipped that under his administration, the union created more awareness against the proliferation of the name, “Merchant Navy “through publications and press releases.

 

On the challenges so far, Yousou disclosed that his greatest challenge since assuming office two years ago was the issue of uniform and ranking by unscrupulous element who are bent to give the union a bad name.

According to him, the issue of uniform and ranks has permeated proliferation in the marine sector because according to him,  “some people believe so much in taking advantage of the uniform , ” but he added that “the major thing about the association is not the uniform but the profession.”

 

He further reiterated that: “My challenge is that the way people see this Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association is not what it is and I have come to change that mindset

 

“They think Merchant Navy is about uniform, uniform but I keep telling them that this association is not about uniform, ranking and all the rest bit for seafarers and well being of seafarers.

 

“It is a very big challenge because for us to change the mindset of these people, it is a lot of challenge because people will make you understand that this is how it has been done but we are saying we are already merchant navy, we are already officers and that uniform, rank is not our priority

 

“You can see a lot of proliferations, people go about with different names but I know it is not only in maritime sector. Anywhere there is a good thing, the bad ones must surely show up.”