Lagos Sept. 8, 2023: Dr Samuel Babatunde, Registrar, Port and Terminal Management Academy of Nigeria, on Thursday described dockworkers as major contributors to the success of the Nigerian port reforms.
Babatunde said this in his keynote address at the maiden Dockworker’s Day celebration organised by the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN), in Lagos.
The celebration had the theme: ‘Dockworkers: The Unsung Heroes of Nigerian Port Reforms’.
Babatunde said that dockworkers had contributed immensely to the success of port reforms and, therefore, deserved to be celebrated.
He praised the President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWEN), Mr Adewale Adeyanju, for piloting the affairs of the union on the path of growth and development.
According to Babatunde, the crucial and strategic role of dockworkers, who are described as the unsung heroes of Nigeria port reforms, cannot be over-emphasised.
He said that the reforms had actualised reduction of the rate of theft at seaports from 55 per cent to 15 per cent, adding that the reforms had improved port efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness from 25 per cent to 85 per cent.
“Cargo handling in all the seaports has risen from 25 to 75 per cent, dwelling time of cargoes in the port has shifted from more than three weeks to less than one week under port reforms.
“The rate of port workers’ accident has reduced drastically from 55 per cent to less than 13 per cent.
“The port dockworkers welfare packages in terms of remuneration, allowances and other privileges have increased and improved from lower to higher,” he said.
Speaking, Adeyanju said that the theme of the event was appropriate considering Federal Government’s promise for job opportunities, securities and decent wages.
“In addition, government posited that the objectives of the reform included to increase efficiency of ports operation and elimination of overlapping functions between Nigerian Ports Authority as a technical regulator and other agencies.
“The ports were delineated in 2006 to 25 terminal operators with lease agreements ranging between 10 to 25 years.
“The agreements have not been renewed because of inter-agency rivalry.
“Another trophy for the unsung heroes is rejection of the obnoxious Ports and Harbour Bill (PHB). This, I described as satanic, repulsive and objectionable as it breached the Pension Reform Act of 2004 as amended. That is why we resisted it,” he said.
He said that the Port and Harbour Bill of 2015 was intended to privatise maritime and harbour services as well as repeal the NPA Act of 1955 as amended.
“We condemned and protested because of our belief that the bill would jeopardize national security and aggravate unemployment among the unsung heroes – dockworkers,” he said.
He thanked SCAN for organising the event aimed at celebrating retired and serving dockworkers.
