By Victor AhiumaYoung

There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for the disengaged seafarers of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL, after 28 years of liquidation as Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has began their verification over their unpaid benefits

At the commencement of the verification in Lagos, President-General of the union , Prince Adewale Adeyanju, restated MWUN’s commitment towards ensuring that the right of all aged and active seafarers would be given to them as at when due.

Adeyanju lamented that the matter had lingered on for long and following the persistent resolve by the union the federal government under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy had given directive for the verification exercise.

Speaking, Adeyanju noted that the number of aged seafarers’ were much, but noted that the verification exercise would determine the number at the end.

He said “There is no way to determine the number of the Seafarers involved until after the verification exercise, because some of them have died ,while some are still alive.

“The issue has lingered before I came on board, but we want to thank the Minister of Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, who has given this directive that the aged Seafarers be verified and their rights given to them.

“Therefore, the event today, is to actually determine who the real Seafarers are. These are people who have contributed immensely to the growth of seafaring in Nigeria. We are talking about those who have served in the defunct NNSL.

“Some of them have died, but the good news is that their next of kin will receive their pensions, because they have already being paid gratuity before they died.( This is why we are doing proper verification so that the rights that belongs to each one of them is given.

“ So, it is after the verification we can now determine their number.( “Sometimes they feel we have been bought over. However, we don’t count on that and we don’t believe on that either. As a unionist, your duty is to protect the interests and welfare of both the living and the dead.

Essentially, the challenges we faced was because it was being unduly delayed. However, we thank God ,we also thank the Minister, the Managing Director of NPA, Mr Muhammed Bello- Koko, the former Director-General, DG, of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr.Bashir Jamoh and the present DG, Dr Dayo Mobereola.They all have contributed to the success story of the Seafarers.

“So, what you are seeing today is a deliberate effort of the leadership of the Maritime workers Union of Nigeria. We are going to silence those who said we don’t have any right to collect money .But today, the government is saying that we have right to collect money.

“There is no way we can determine how much would be paid until the union sits down with the government.”

Collaborating Prince Adeyanju, the union’s Deputy Secretary General Organising, Abdul Eroje, said “The struggle for what is happening here today has been on since 1991, when the retirees of the defunct NNSL went to court. Justice Atilade ruled that they should be paid pension and gratuity. However, the court order was not obeyed.

“ In 1995, we went to the National Industrial Court presided over by justice Adejumo equally ruled in our favour. In 2007, some batches were paid gratuity. And the second batch was paid in 2010. Over 1,700 were paid in these exercises. But, the pension was not paid. Successive leadership of the Maritime Workers Union had worked on this project but it did not materialise until the leadership of Prince Adeyanju.”

Eroje said Adeyanju to achieve result, set up an in house committee to look into the issue and all the documents relating to the issue including court rulings and judgments were rooted out, and report was written. So it is a victory day for the Seafarers.

“But it is very painful that the Federal Government could not resuscitate the defunct NNSL. Nigeria is a cargo hub for both import and export, it is indeed painful.”