From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Chairman of Haulage District of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Eastern Port, Mr Ugwu Adolphus, has denied the allegation that maritime workers in Onne Port are extorting, intimidating and harassing freight forwarders, the cargo carriers at Onne Port, Rivers State.
Adolphus emphasized that the authority workers were only enforcing the statutory duties of maritime in the Nigeria ports.
The union chairman stated this when he address newsmen in Port Harcourt, maintaining that the maritime workers secured a judgement from the Port Harcourt Industrial Court, which ordered every other transport body or association to operate under the authority and mandate of the maritime in the Nigeria Ports.
Adolphus also faulted the conduct of freight forwarders’ transporters who invaded the sea ports to carry out unlawful activities and violated lawful order of the Port operations on cargo transportation.
According to him, the freight forwarders’ transporters had earlier approached the Industrial Court in Port Harcourt where the court spelt out their limitations in their operations as transporters and confirmed the maritime body as the national recognized body on Port transport operations.
Adolphus accused freight forwarders of causing breach of peace and violating the operations of the Port cargo transportation, advising them to maintain standard in their operations.
He also cited the Industrial Court’s judgement deliverd by Justice Nelson Ogbuanya of the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Division, to prove his claims of being backed by legal authority.
Justice Nelson Ogbuanya of the National Industrial Court (NIC), Port Harcourt Division, had upheld held that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) by extant laws, lacks the power to register organisations under Incorporated Trustee, which has aims and objectives of a Trade Union.