WHARF RATS RETURN: MWUN Tasks SIFAX Group To Improve On Lighting Equipment

Roland Ekama , Lagos

 

The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Monday called on SIFAX Group; Owners of Ports and Cargo Handling Services ,Tin Can Island Port to improve on it’s lighting equipment and to overhaul security personnel in a bid to stop further vandalization of cargoes at the terminal.

 

The Union has also cautioned unit and district officers at the terminal to desist from any form of  connivance  with officials  to pilfer or vandalise consignment at the terminals.

 

DAILYFOCUS NEWS ONLINE had reported exclusively that four vehicles laden in a 40″ container were vandalised at Ports and Cargo Terminal,Tin Can Island Port.

 

The President General of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) affiliate union,Comrade Adewale Adeyanju ,who had a close door meeting with management of the concessionaire , threatened to expel  members of the union found wanting of any act of stealing at the ports.

 

Comrade Adeyanju further charged management of the terminal to illuminate the facility, saying that it is not useful to have a Camera Circuit Television (CCTV) to be strategically positionwd  in the terminal without proper lighting.

 

Adeyanju also warned  his officers to henceforth desist from participating in examination of cargoes at the terminal ,even as he stressed  the need for the dockworkers to conduct themselves while at work at the facility.

 

He also called on  management of the Ports and Cargo terminal to fix the security lapses at the terminal, which he alleged ,could  have resulted  to criminals invading the terminal to vandalize containers belonging to importers.

 

His words, “When I heard that the things that have been buried in the past have started surfacing again, I was a little bit worried about where such practice is coming from .

 

Asked about the outcome of the meeting with the terminal operators,the union boss stressed that “We made it known to the management of the terminal that they should go and put their security in place. If they have CCTV, they should be able to identify who and who is responsible for the pilfering.

 

“If you go to APMT now, before you enter their gate, they know somebody is coming, if ordinary pin drips at night, they will see it.

 

That is the CCTV we are talking about not the one you have and there is no light in the terminal, how do you expect the equipment to work effectively?

 

“These are the things that I think the management should put in place in addressing the situation before them.

 

“I don’t want anyone to put the name of the union in bad light. That is why I called the branch officers of dock workers and part of my meeting with them is to read my own riot act.

 

“Any of my workers, any Labour or any unit or district officer that gets himself involved in stealing, or conniving with anyone to steal will be expelled from the union,” he warned.