The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has condemned the biometric identity card issued to dockworkers by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), stating that it was a scam.
The president-general of the union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, at the inaugural branch working committee meeting of the union’s dockworkers’ branch in Lagos on Thursday, said the NIMASA biometric card issued to dockworkers four years ago has not only expired, but did not capture the complete data of the card-holders.
“The biometric identity card that was issued to us about four years ago is long overdue and it has expired. If you look at the card very well, you will notice that it is a scam because your information is not in the biometric card that was given to you,” he said.
He noted that the development has led to the influx of unregistered dockworkers at the port, taking over the jobs of those who were registered.
“When we met with the management of NIMASA, they told us that the one they are about doing now for all the dockworkers, including the seafarers, is going to contain all your data but, up till now, we have not heard anything from them.
“The union, through this medium, is telling NIMASA that they should put all machinery in place and expedite action to make sure dockworkers all over Nigerian seaports are well registered and given biometric cards,” he said.
Adeyanju equally appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the repair of dilapidated port access roads, which he said has led to loss of jobs in the maritime industry.
Highlighting his achievements as MWUN president-general, he said, “Under the two years administration of our government, we have been able to register a befitting company.
“The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria needs to have business doing in the port. There is need for us to diversify from being a trade union to business-orientated maritime workers union of Nigeria.
“We have already put in two registered companies, one for haulage and stevedoring, while the other one is for export. We want to create employment for our members; even some of our retirees can be managing those businesses.”
The labour leader likewise assured tally clerks and onboard security men, who he said have successfully undergone verification exercise by the Nigerian Ports Authority), that their severance package would be paid “in the next couple of months.”