Steve Agbota
The National Association of Stevedoring Contractors (NASC) lamented that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) have taken over the stevedoring jobs which are meant for locals companies in the maritime sector. The Association also condemned what it described as the high level of disregard for the nation’s laws governing operations by IOCs operating in the country.
The President of the Association, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, addressing newsmen on the recent marine notice issued by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for stevedoring firms to return to location and commence operations, said that the activities of the stevedoring operations were not being respected by the IOCs off shore operators.
He added: “We need to have gainful employment. All these jobs are there but they are being done by foreigners. We have the local content development management board; a foreigner should not just come in and take over the job for the locals.
“The IOCs cannot constitute themselves into different powerful firms that will be making things difficult for us. It is not done. They have been doing this in so many industries; somebody has to come out along the line to stop that. They cannot do this in Saudi Arabia. In all the Arabian countries, they cannot do that, so why are they doing that here?”
Reacting to the recent marine notice issued by NIMASA for stevedoring firms to return to location and commence operations, Sunmola commended NIMASA for issuing the notice, stating that the notice is not just in favour of stevedores in the country but in the interest of Nigerians. He lamented that most Nigerian port terminals lack basic amenities like toilets, bathrooms, etc for port workers. He said one of the problems NASC is facing at the ports is the welfare of dockworkers.
He noted: “Majority of the dockworkers at various port terminals are not properly kitted and remunerated. Do you know that many of the port terminals do not have ordinary toilets for dockworkers? Many of the port terminals cannot boast of providing toilets for dockworkers, let alone Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“The dockworkers, while carrying out their duty inside the port terminals, usually do “Short-put” anytime they feel the call of nature. After the short-put, they throw their faeces into the water. Imagine terminal operators that cannot provide common toilets inside port terminals for workers, asking us to provide PPE’s for the workers? An ordinary boot for a dockworker now cost around N45,000, and that depends on the kind of operation the dockworker is doing.”