The Chairman, Seaport Terminals Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup on Thursday extolled the virtues of for President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Tony Nted.
Speaking at Nted’s 60th birthday celebration in Festac Town, Lagos, Haastrup said the former MWUN leader changed the negative perception about dockworkers.
She said, “I came in contact with Tony in 2006 when I started operating in the maritime sector. There is something I discovered about Tony that he is just different. He is a complete gentleman.
“People think anything about union is militancy but I tell you unionism is not militancy. Dockworkers are no more militant. They are non-violent because of what Tony has done. Because of the orientation, there is that drastic modernization of mind and that has really worked for the industry.
“If you go to the port terminals now, you don’t see dockworkers fighting themselves or their employers or even stopping work. Tony has done well for the industry and we are proud of him.
“The success of a man’s life is not determined by his status, how much money he has or how many children he has. What determines the success of a man is his sense of character and I tell you my brother Tony has a sense of character.
“He is not just a union leader; he is a civil right leader. He is a man of many parts. He is a kind ad generous man who always reaches out to the downtrodden.”
Also speaking at the event, Nted’s successor and current President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, who shares the same birthday with Nted, described his predecessor as a man of wisdom and integrity.
“Before, dockworkers didn’t have any condition of service but during his tenure he was able to introduce train-the-trainers by way of sending almost 1,500 dockworkers to overseas training courses. He improved the lives of dockworkers during his tenure,” Adeyanju said.