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By Steve Agbota
In a patriotic move calculated to stop impending national economic shut down, the Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello Koko on Monday brokered peace between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and marginal field operators of the Oil and Gas industry over non-compliance with Stevedoring regulations.
Appealing to the maritime workers during the meeting, Bello Koko said: “We will do all it takes to ensure industrial harmony and prevent the shutdown of crucial production platforms of the Oil and Gas and allied industries that maritime workers control. The national economy cannot afford any shutdown at this time.”
The meeting which culminated in the signing of a communique addressing the workers’ grievances and subsequent suspension of planned strike action, had in attendance the Executive Vice-President (Down Stream) for Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Mr. Adedapo Segun, Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President National Association of Stevedoring Operators (NASO) Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, Managing Director Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC) Mr. Bayo Adenrele and Assistant Director Distribution System, Storage and Retail Infrastructure of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) amongst other industry leaders.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria had issued an ultimatum to shutdown ALL Oil Production and allied platforms over non-compliance with the stevedoring regulations, lack of access to work locations, lack of remittance of 3 per cent MWUN levy by Stevedores.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) under the able leadership of Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju has directed all its members under the four branches of the Union to resume normal duties tomorrow as the nation’s seaports will be opened for normal operations as against the notice of strike issued on January 4, 2024; given the non-compliance of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Stevedoring Contractors on the extant laws, which they have continually violate for the past three (3) years after several communiques have been signed by all the relevant stakeholders in the sector.
This was as a result of communiques signed on the deadline for full compliance with Stevedoring Regulations by Operators in the petroleum industry, which addressed the declaration of the strike action – to shut down the seaports, terminals, jetties and oil & gas platforms nationwide; hence, the following resolutions were arrived at that though the IOCs have substantially complied with deployment of Labour, the matter of equipment deployment is to be examined within the next three (3) months.
“That meetings be facilitated within one (1) week by the relevant regulators and the marginal field operators and all other non-complant operators to ensure immediate complaiance with the Stevedoring Regulations and granting of access to appoint Stevedores.
“That full resolutions of all issues relating to compliance and grants of access to work locations to Stevedores by location Operators be sorted out between now and end of January, 2024.
“That while these actions are being taken, the earlier communique reached Friday, the 5th of January, 2024 be immediately implemented as mark of good faith.That based on the above resolutions, the Union has decided to lift the impending shutting down of the nation’s seaports,” the communique reads.
