Protest As NPA Plans To Sack 5,000 Workers

The planned move by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to sack about 5,000 onboard security men and tally clerk has been rejected by the National Association of Stevedoring Companies.

 

The president of the association, Bolaji Sunmola  made this position known while fielding questions from newsmen in in Lagos on Thursday, December 3.

He said that the case will be taken to the Federal Ministry of Transport for resolution stating that the NPA was prepared to throw thousands of workers and their employers into the Labour market.

The NPA had said during a stakeholders meeting on November 10 in Lagos that it will disengage tally clerk and onboard security men on December 15.

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To effect the new change, NPA in a letter dated November 23 notified stevedoring firms of its decision to disengage onboard security men and tally clerk.

The said letter was signed by NPA’s executive director, Marine and Operations, David Omonibeke. The NPA had explained that following the stakeholders’ meeting, the management had taken the decision to discontinue the service of tally clerks and onboard security men.

The port authority based its decision on the fact that the authority had ceded cargo handling to terminal operators in the concession areas.

It was learnt that about 10 stevedoring firms are currently engaged in Tin Can Island, Onne, and Rivers and Lagos.

The affected companies are Bashisa Global Ltd, Westland International, Dockworth Services, matral Marine Services, Long Shore Stevedoring.

Others are Excellent Dominion, Blue Ocean Cargo Handling (Tin-Can port; Patrade Nigeria Ltd. (Rivers port); Insight Marine Ltd. (Onne port) and Fairdeal Agency Ltd. (Calabar port).

“The terminal operators are responsible for stevedoring operations in their respective areas as provided in the concession agreements.’’

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“From this day (Dec. 15), Nigeria will be losing the independence of reports and accounts without bias of happenings at the quay apron of Nigerian ports,” NPA said.

Speaking against the sack, Sunmola said that the sack will have negative security implication as the Nigerians ports will be vulnerable to all sorts of shady deals.

He said: “We maintain that payment of tally clerks is never a drain to NPA’s revenue,”

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