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… It poses serious economic, security risks
By Steve Agbota
The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene to restore the engagement of tally clerks and on-board gangway security men across the nation’s ports and jetties.
The union, in a petition letter addressed to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, warned that their continued absence poses serious economic and security risks and described the situation as a fundamental and existential problem within Nigeria’s maritime sector.
The petition, signed by the Secretary-General of MWUN, Comrade Oniha Erazua, highlighted the complete absence of tally clerks, gangway security personnel, and the presence of regulatory agencies at ports, terminals, jetties, and oil and gas platforms nationwide.
According to the union, this gap has enabled terminal operators to sidestep maritime labour laws, particularly the Stevedoring Regulations 2014, by engaging unregistered dockworkers.
MWUN further warned that the lack of tally clerks has encouraged under-declaration of cargo, resulting in significant revenue losses for the country.
It also noted that the absence of on-board gangway security men has contributed to growing security lapses, including unchecked arms trafficking and handling of contraband goods.
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The union stressed that the situation has left Nigeria’s port environments increasingly porous, revealing that no fewer than 243 operational jetties across the country currently function without effective supervision from key regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Describing the development as a breach of statutory maritime obligations, MWUN reiterated its demand for the immediate restoration of the affected categories of workers under a regulated pooling system.
Among its key demands, the union urged the Minister to initiate executive action to reinstate tally clerks and gangway security personnel across all ports. It also called for the establishment of a central pool to be managed by NIMASA for their engagement and deployment.
Additionally, MWUN appealed for directives to be issued to both NIMASA and NPA to recruit and deploy personnel responsible for monitoring compliance with maritime operations and labour laws across ports, dry ports, bonded terminals, and jetties.
The petition read in part: “The lack of Tally Clerks leaves room for under-declaration of cargo, which affects overall revenue generation to the nation; whilst the absence of On-Board Gangway Security Men also contributes to the security lapses accruing to unchecked proliferation of arms dealings, and contraband handling with a deleterious effect on the nation.
“Sir, for emphasis, their continued absence has occasioned extremely porous security at the Ports, Jetties, Terminals, Oil & Gas Platforms, Bonded Terminals, Dry Ports and every other area where there are port operations.
“And, there are currently at least 243 (two hundred and forty-three) jetties operational in Nigeria which operate without the supervision of maritime sector regulators like NIMASA and NPA, occasioning loss of a potential source of income to the nation.”
The union noted that similar appeals had been made in previous correspondence dating back to 2021 and 2023, alongside reports and memoranda submitted by stakeholders, but lamented that the issue remains unresolved.
MWUN expressed hope that the Minister would act swiftly to address what it described as a long-standing challenge with far-reaching implications for national security and revenue generation.
