MWUN raises alarm over planned attack on Lagos ports, petitions NPA

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has raised the alarm over planned invasion and attack on Lagos ports.

MWUN, in a petition to the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Muhammed Bello- Koko said the unnamed group it described as ‘violent intruders masquerading as legitimate port users’ also planned to attack it’s members and truck drivers plying the port access roads.

The petition dated August 18 2023 and signed by the Deputy Secretary General of MWUN, Comrade Oniha Erazue, urged the NPA to further strengthen security at the port and on the port access roads to ensure that the entire axis is made safe and conducive for work and legitimate business.

The union threatened to withdraw it’s services from all ports, jetties, terminals, and oil and gas platforms across the country if it’s members are attacked.

Meanwhile, the union has commended the NPA MD for his responsiveness and disposition towards ensuring the safety of its members at the ports.

The petition reads, “We are grateful for the timely manner in which the Nigerian Ports Authority has taken up the case of MWUN and moved to ensure that our members are protected from violent intruders who are working under illegitimate and unsanctioned mandate to extort money from port users as well as truck drivers and other such haulage workers plying the port access roads.

“Sir, we are constrained to inform you of new threat posed by same violent intruders masquerading as legitimate port users who we are reliably informed have perfected plans to invade the ports and unleash untold mayhem. We also have it on reliable information that these are the same people who violently attacked and killed four of our members under the guise of ticket fee collection in 2022.

“We wish to state that ports are under the exclusive purview and management of the Federal Government of Nigeria and is also an exclusive economic zone under the direct control of the Federal Government through the Nigerian Ports Authority, therefore, its premises and immediate environs are regarded as a strictly regulated business area with adequate security detail for the protection of lives and property.

“Flowing from the above, a port ought not to be receptive to anyone who has no legitimate business to do there. It is therefore will be a breach of standard if for laxity some bad actors with sinister motives are allowed to have unfettered or uncontrolled access to the port and indeed the port access road.

“It is in line with the foregoing that we urgently request a further strengthening of security at the port and on the port access roads to ensure that the entire axis is made safe and conducive for work and legitimate business.

“The continued and growing threat of violent attacks in the port and on the access roads portends a breakdown of order at an establishment which should ordinarily be a safe haven for legitimate businesses and workers to carry on their activities.

“As social partners in the development of port business, the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria applied utmost caution in its reaction to the previous senseless attack and killing of our members in our own work environment.

“Because we believe in law and order, we placed our hopes for justica on the law enforcement agencies to see the matter to its logical and just conclusion and did not take the matter into our own hands.

“It is on this note we wish to unequivocally state that MWUN shall no longer condone any act of violent attack on its members henceforth as any such attack will lead to the withdrawal of services of our members from all ports, jetties, terminals, and oil and gas platforms nationwide.”