Maritime
Retirees Send SOS To Jonathan
Nigerian Ports Authority retirees of 1991 have appealed for President Goodluck Jonathan’s intervention over the non-payment of their terminal benefits.
The retirees lamented that nearly 20 years after they were unlawfully retrenched, the management of the authority has not given them their statutory rights as its former employees.
Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, one of the affected retirees who preferred anonymity said many of their colleagues have lost their lives, children, with wards thrown out of schools and homes as they could no longer meet their basic responsibilities over the years.
In a save our souls’ (SOS) letter addressed to President Jonathan, he said, the 1991 retirees of NPA said their appointments were unlawfully terminated on June 10, 1991 by NPA without compliance with the federal government circular on pensions and gratuity.
According to him, the content of the letter states that the federal government circular supersedes any circular of NPA in the event of any conflict. Noting that the federal government had on September 13, 1991 issued a circular No. B.632 16/S.1/X/618 through the Federal Ministry of Establishment to all federal ministries and all federal parastatals on pension review.
“This circular took effect from January 1,1991. The circular ref No B. 632/6/S.1/x/618 of September 13, 1991 as the amendment of the pension act of 1990 and the federal government official gazette No. 98 volume 69, amendment act 1982, and NPA condition of service. At this time, the circular has duly covered us while in service.
“The circular stipulates that we are entitled to pension and gratuity. That is pension for those of us who served the authority for a period of 10 years and above but less than 15 years, and gratuity for those who served the authority for a period of 5 years and above but less than 10 years.
The retirees expressed dismay that a demand for the payment of their entitlement was not accepted by the management of the authority over the years despite repeated appeals to several quarters.
“We consider it a denial of our entitlement and had no alternative than to go to court because we could not have wasted more time since NPA is a statutory body to avoid time barred. We instituted suit No LD/1827/92 to secure the payment of our entitlement from NPA. The conclusion of the trial by the Hon. Justice A.R.A Shaid of the Lagos High Court was on July 12, 1996 was in favour of the retrenched staff.
“The court had declared that pension and redundancy be paid to those of us who served NPA for years and above but less than 15 years and gratuity for those of us who served for 5 years above but less than 10 years. Let us make it abundantly clear to the general public that NPA management and its board never intended to pay our entitlements, hence, the refusal and denial of same 19 years after disengagement despite court judgement and all ministerial directives for our payment”, they said.
The former employees of the authority said the management of NPA refused to honour the judgement of the high court against the judgement in suit No. CA/L/42597.
“This appeal was on February 16, 1998 dismissed for want of diligent prosecution. The NPA and its board ignored all communication from our lawyer, Mr. Makinde, for modalities to settle the retirees and went ahead to institute a fresh suit NO. LD/1021/99; this time to set aside the judgement of Justice A.R.A Shaid of Lagos High Court.
This new suit was dismissed our lawyer wrote again to NPA notifying it of the dismissed suit NPA went to Appeal Court in suit NO CA/L99/2002 and the appeal was allowed, so we went to Supreme Court in suit No SC/190/2003. The judgement of this suit was on May 11, 2007 in favour of the retrenched staff. This judgement of the Supreme Court affirmed the judgement of the court of Lagos by Hon. Justice Shaid. Yet NPA refuses to pay till date.”
“As a result of this the retrenched staff went to the Senate with an appeal to the Committee on Establishment and Public Services. The Senate directed the managing director to comply based on the Supreme Court judgement. They refused to obey. We went to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Mohammed Adoke’s office with an appeal.
“The minister wrote to the Managing Director of NPA advising NPA to comply immediately with the judgement. Yet it refused to obey. We do not know who is standing against our payment or where NPA gets its strength for what it is doing,” the aggrieved former employees added in their letter to Jonathan.
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operation Base (FOB), Badagry, says its gallant officers have rescued nine women from the hands of suspected human traffickers.
FOB said the suspects have been handed over to the National Agency for prohibition of Human trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) for prosecution.
This was disclosed to newsmen in a statement by the Base Information Officer, Litunent B. Awodeyi, in Lagos.
Awodeyi said the first interception of the women was during a stop and search operation by the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Command in a boat traveling to mile 2 and Panshi Jetty in Lagos State were five women between the ages of 19 and 32 were rescued.
The statement further said four women were also rescued by QRT two days later in a boat along Tongeji Island in Badagry, with the ages of victims ranging from 19 to 24 years.
Awodeyi said the rescued suspects were under investigation in line with the 2016 Harmonised Standard Procedures on arrest.
Although the names of the suspects were not made public by FOB, it insisted that the operation reflects Navy’s dedication to combating human trafficking and ensuring a secure maritime environment in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic directive 2023 and 2026.
The directive, Awodeyi said, is aimed at promoting safety in Nigeria’s waters and the Gulf of Guinea (GOG).
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), led by its President-General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, has announced plans to embark on a nationwide strike, if the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) fails to pay nine months of salary arrears owed its employees.
Adeyanju said the affected workers are members of MWUN, and accused CRFFN management of neglecting its financial responsibilities.
MWUN in a statement by its Head of Media, Comrade John Kennedy Ikemefuna, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the actions of the CRFFN’s Acting Registrar.
The statement noted that MWUN had exhausted all available options for negotiation, including issuing several ultimatums, but that the efforts were ignored by the management of CRFFN.
“The most recent attempt at mediation occurred in Abuja on September 18, 2024, yet no progress was made in resolving the matter”, it said.
The statement criticised CRFFN for disregarding a crucial resolution reached during the mediation meetings.
According to Ikemefuna, one of the resolutions stipulated that when funds become available to the CRFFN, the payment of employees’ salaries should be prioritis ed.
The statement further noted that CRFFN diverted available funds to conduct what it described as a “kangaroo” training programme for select staff members, leaving the issue of unpaid salaries unaddressed.
“This is a clear violation of the agreements reached”, it emphasised.
The Union said CRFFN’s actions have deepened the financial challenges faced by its members, hence MWUN expressed disappointment that, despite their willingness to cooperate with the CRFFN management, the regulatory body has continued to act in a manner that undermines the rights and welfare of its members.
The workers union, therefore, insisted that it would no longer tolerate the perceived impunity of the CRFFN and declared that if the outstanding nine months salary arrears are not paid, it would have no choice but to initiate a total withdrawal of its members from services.
“This action would impact key sectors of Nigeria’s maritime industry, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, dock labour, shipping and freight forwarding agencies, as well as seamen working across all ports, jetties, terminals, and oil and gas platforms”, Ikemefuna stated.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Command, has thwarted a smuggling attempt of N1.1billion illicit drugs in four containers at Apapa Port.
The four seized containers were filled with narcotics valued at N1,183,915,500.
The Command’s Area Controller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, disclosed this to newsmen through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abubakar Usman.
The seizure involved 236,783 bottles of cough syrups containing codeine and Barcadin, packed in a total of 2,174 cartons from two terminals under the command’s jurisdiction.
Three other seizures were made at APM Terminals, while one was intercepted at Kachicares Bonded Terminal.
Comptroller Olomu explained that, “On October 11, 2024, during a joint inspection of a 1×40 container, number MRKU0377493, our officers discovered prohibited CSP cough syrup—34,800 bottles packed into 174 cartons, each containing 200 bottles.
“The shipment was expired at the time of interception”.
The statement said on the same day, another 1×40 container, number TGBU8886020, was found with 39,700 bottles of DSP cough syrup, packed in cartons containing 100 bottles each.
Additionally, a third container (TCKU6800526) examined on October 15, 2024, at APMT Terminal, labelled as containing essential goods, revealed 19 cartons of concealed CSJ cough syrup for throat and chest with codeine, packed in 200 bottles per carton.
Another major seizure was recorded on October 15, 2024, at Kachicares Resources Terminal: A 1×40FT container, number SUDU8579006, declared as containing kitchen wares, was found with a concealed stash of Barcadin cough syrup in 1,584 cartons, along with 83 loose bottles.
Comptroller Olomu described the seizures as part of the NCS’ zero-tolerance policy toward smuggling.
Apapa Command, he said, “is committed to efficient trade facilitation while maintaining strict controls on revenue collection and anti-smuggling activities.
”I urge those engaged in illegal trade to avoid Apapa Port. Our vigilant officers, using intelligence, technology, and experience, are poised to detect and intercept any smuggling attempts”.
He insisted that Codeine abuse has been linked to severe side effects, including drowsiness, confusion, and increased susceptibility to criminal behaviors.
“The Nigerian government banned the importation of codeine-containing cough syrups in 2018 after widespread misuse among youth”, he noted.
The Comptroller said further investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the individuals behind the smuggling attempts.
