The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called on the attention of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to strengthen the security on the ports and its environs as they have been threatened by some intruders who have planned to invade the port.
Oniha Erazua on behalf of the secretary General of MWUN revealed this in a letter written to the Nigerian Port Authority.
According to Oniha, the threat is coming from the same people who attacked and killed four members of the Union in 2022.
” We are constrained to inform you on new threat posed by same violent intruders masquerading as legitimate port users who we are reliably informed have perfected plans to invade the ports.We also have it on reliable information that these are the same people who violently attacked and killed four of our members under the guise of ticket fee collection in 2022″.
“We wish to state that ports are under the exclusive purview and management of the Federal Government of Nigeria and is also an exclusive economic zone under the direct control of the Federal Government through the Nigerian Ports Authority: therefore, its premises and immediate environs are regarded as a strictly regulated business area with adequate security detail for the protection of lives and properties”.
Oniha urged the Nigerian Ports Authority to hastily come to the rescue of Maritime Union Workers as further attacks will lead to the withdrawal of their services.
” MWUN shall no longer condone any act of violent attack on its members henceforth as any such attack will lead to the withdrawal of services of our members from all ports, Jetties, terminal and oil and gas platforms nationwide.
“As social partners in the development of port business, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria applied utmost caution in its reaction to the previous senseless attack and killing of our members in our own work environment.Because we believe in law and order, we placed our hopes for justice on the law enforcement agencies to see the matter to its logical and just conclusion and did not take the matter into our own hands “.
“We urgently request a further strengthening of security of the port and on the port access roads to ensure that the entire axis is made safe and conducive for work and legitimate business ” he added.
