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The Nigerian Ports Authority Senior Staff Association, last Friday, stalled the start of the transfer process of Apapa Port terminals to the preferred bidders, who emerged during the recent biddings for the port.
The Nigerian Ports Authority Senior Staff Association, last Friday, stalled the start of the transfer process of Apapa Port terminals to the preferred bidders, who emerged during the recent biddings for the port.
The NPSSA's President, Mr. Peter Abolarin, told our correspondent on Sunday, that he mobilised over 1,000 workers immediately the association got wind of the planned commencement of work by a transition committee for terminals C and D at the Lagos port.
Officials of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, led by Mr. Allwell Ibe, representatives of the preferred bidders and NPA managers, were already gathered at the Boardroom, of the NPA Western Operations, for the inauguration of the committee when the workers stormed the meeting.
The placard-carrying workers, who also spoke with news correspondents, observed that there was no reason for the inauguration of the committee as labour issues, which are central to the success or failure of the ongoing maritime industry reforms and port concession, had not been addressed.
Abolarin said that although labour was not opposed to the ongoing reforms, the Federal Government, and the BPE seemed to be in a hurry to dispose of the terminals without resolving crucial labour issues.
He said, 'Our demand is that labour issues such as severance package, manning levels, training and re-training of workers to be affected by the port concession as well as the actual number of workers to be left in the post-concession period must be properly addressed."
Abolarin disclosed that himself and the President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr. Onikolease Irabor, had visited the World Bank to inform the bank on the haphazard manner in which the exercise endorsed by the bank, was being implemented.
He also stated that the workers had lost confidence in the Presidential Committee on the Reforms of the Ports, led by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saying that all efforts to make the committee address labour issues had been rebuffed.
The NPASSA boss warned that unless labour issues were resolved, the workers would be mobilised to disallow such meetings at any NPA offices, ports or liaison offices throughout the federation
The BPE had in a statement last Thursday, said the ENL Consortium had taken possession of the Apapa Port Terminals C and D, following the signing of concession agreements with the bureau.
The ENL Consortium comprises ENL, a Nigerian-based public utility management company, Haastrup Line WA and the GSI, a stevedoring company. Dublin Port Company is to serve as technical partner.
The Punch, Monday July 11, 2005