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Isaac Anumihe
Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), at the weekend, gave the Federal Government till the end of the second quarter of this year to fix Tin-Can Island end of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway or it will ground activities in the ports.
President General of the union, Adewale Adeyanju, who spoke to newsmen, said the government agreed with the union early in the year to fix the Ijora-Apapa and Oshodi-Apapa Expressway before the end of second quarter.
Although Adeyanju acknowledged the effort of the government to reconstruct the Ijora-Apapa Road, he expressed shock that the same government abandoned the other entry point to Apapa against its promise.
According to the union leader, if nothing tangible is done on the state of the road before the end of June, the union would present new ultimatum on the strike to the Federal Government.
“We have both signed a communique about the road and the government promised that by second quarter, something reasonable will be done on all the access roads leading to the nation’s seaport.
“You can go to Area B to Apapa now, the road is moving smoothly but where we have a problem with the government is that of Tin-Can Island because nothing has been done on that road and it is part of our agreement,” he said.
He also disclosed that the union is in solidarity with the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on the need for government to declare a state of emergency on Nigerian roads especially the Trunk A roads in the country.
“We are in line with NUPENG for government to declare a state of emergency on Nigerian roads but our position is different from theirs because they also contribute to the dilapidation of the road by their indiscriminate parking on the roads. They don’t have right to park on the road even if government repairs the road,” he said.
Adeyanju further stated that the intended strike to ground activities at the ports still subsists but was suspended after the intervention by the Minister of Labour and Transportation.
“We only suspended our strike based on the intervention of the government especially the Minister of Labour, and Minister of Transportation, Dr. Chris Ngige, and Mr. Chibuike Amaechi respectively because of the respect we have for them but if they do not follow up with what the agreement says, which is fixing the roads and making them motorable by second quarter of 2018, we will renew our ultimatum,” Adeyanju warned.
The union’s president who expressed confidence in the Federal Government to fix the Tin Can Island roads before the end of the second quarter, said government, terminal operators and importers are losing a fortune to the bad state of the roads. He also said investors and business owners have abandoned the area leading to job loss to maritime workers.
“The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said they are ready to repair the road but the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing said it is their baby and NPA should hands off. When we issued an ultimatum, a committee was set up by the same management of NPA. A communique has been signed and we are standing by it. So we are waiting for them.”
