The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has said the refusal of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to accept the settlement offers made to retired workers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) is responsible for the delay in paying the ex-workers’ retirement benefits.
Jamoh said this in Lagos on Monday in response to a complaint of non-payment of the retired workers by the President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju.
“You know we have been going up and down on this matter. We made offers and offers and offers but you keep rejecting. If we say this is what we are going to pay and you keep saying no, that doesn’t mean that we have not paid. It is you rejecting it. You are supposed to collect it, put it in your pocket and go back to re-negotiate,” he said.
He assured the union that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, will ensure that the retired workers receive their full entitlements.
“We are going back to the drawing board and we can assure you that to the last kobo, we will pay. Nobody in your record will we not pay,” he said.