President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Anthony Nted Emmanuel has called on the federal government and relevant security agencies to arrest the union’s ex- president, Uzoije Ukaumunna for allegedly masterminding unrests among dockworkers by mobilising non-members of the union to invade its secretariat, and also for flouting a court injunction.
In a chat with journalists in Lagos on the recent attempt to cause mayhem at the union’s secretariat in Apapa, Nted said that the union was uncomfortable with the apparent unwillingness to curtail the actions of the union’s ex-President, whom he also referred to as “a threat to peace in the maritime industry.”
He said that the MWUN was concerned about Ukaumaunna’s intrusion, adding that dockworkers branch had the strength and population to resist any form of militancy that can be orchestrated by the Ukaumunna group.
He said as a responsible and peace-loving union, there is the need for government to take immediate action to curtail the situation before it goes out of hand.
Nted alleged that those that staged the protest at the national secretariat were orchestrated by the ex-labour leader and one Maurice Fangnon, adding that some of the perpetrators were arrested.
He called for urgent intervention by security agencies, saying that, ”if someone who has been removed by the federal government about 14 years ago can still be allowed to regroup and invade our national secretariat, then something needs to be done urgently.”
“We are calling on the government to do something immediately to apprehend Ukaumunna and the so-called Maurice Fangnon, because they violated a court order and another is that they wanted to pull down the maritime workers union national secretariat, because they came with acid, guns, cutlasses, and all are with the Police.
“As far as I am concerned, those guys that invaded the secretariat of the union are not dockworkers rather they are miscreants who were contracted by Ukaumunna and Fangnon who said he is a professor from Cotonou and we know their mission. “Nted added.
On what to expect despite the apprehension, Nted maintained that MWUN is equal to the task of protecting itself, but urged the terminal operators to also beef-up security at their respective areas of operations and their environs.
He further advised Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to rise up to the occasion by ensuring that security personnel are alert.
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