The President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, has decried the slow pace of work along the Mile 2-Tin Can Island Port road along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway by the contracting firm, Hitech Construction Company, calling on the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to prevail on the contractor to expedite action on the road project.
Adeyanju, who made the call in Lagos on Wednesday, said for the truck electronic call-up system being deployed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to be successfully implemented; the contractor must ensure speedy completion of the road.
“We are all aware of what is happening along the Tin Can road. The contractors are very slow in handling that project. If the NPA e-call up system for trucks will be successful, they must ensure they expedite action on the road on time so that they can put it to use for all the trucks and stakeholders.
“The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing will need to talk to Hitech, the work they are doing is very slow,” he said.
Adeyanju assured NPA of the union’s support towards the success of the electronic call-up system, urging stakeholders especially trucking associations to support the initiative, which he said would help reduce human interference and address the indiscriminate parking of trucks along the port access roads.
He said, “We have already supported the idea of the e-call up system. It is going to be for the benefit of all the stakeholders and reduce human interference on the road. Let us give it a trial and let us see how it is going to work. I believe NPA has sensitized all the stakeholders including the union and they have given us assurance so let us see how it is going to work.”
Meanwhile, the MWUN boss has pledged to intensify efforts at enhancing the welfare of members of the union.
Speaking when he received members of the dockworkers branch of the union from the Eastern ports who visited him to express their support for his second term in office, Adeyanju said he is not a politician that reneges on promises, assuring that he would continue to prioritise workers’ welfare.
While urging the dockworkers to continue to maintain industrial peace and harmony in their various units and ports locations, Adeyanju reminded them that there is no gain in thuggery.
He said, “I will never be a politician that will say white and mean black. I am a labour activist and I remain a labour activist. We are going to continue to improve the welfare of workers. There is no gain in thuggery. By fighting yourself, you lose your credibility and integrity. There is a need to carry ourselves along and be our brothers keepers.
“Never again in the history of MWUN would the dockworkers branch be used as thugs in the industry anymore. Dockworkers are not thugs, we are responsible workers and we have been reformed. Over the years, we have not shut down any terminal, we disagree and agree because some of them are responsible business men.”
Earlier, Tunde Bolaji, who spoke on behalf of the District Chairmen from the Eastern ports, said, “Our coming from Port Harcourt is to declare our total support and loyalty for our President General’s second tenure that we are solidly behind him. We don’t always call him PG but we call him father because of the way he relates with us.”
The Managing Director, Micura Stevedoring Services, Micheal Ubogu, who joined the dockworkers on the visit, also thanked Adeyanju for sustaining industrial peace at the ports, describing him as someone that leads by example.