– Petition President Tinubu, threaten showdown
Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — Organised Labour in the maritime sector has rejected a circular from the Ministry of Finance directing 50 percent deduction from the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, for payment into the Federation Account, warning that it portends grave danger for port operations and development amongst others.
Organised Labour under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies, SSASCGOC, NPA branch instead advocated for 30 percent IGR deduction.
At a briefing Monday, the two in-house Unions called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene to avoid a looming industrial unrest over the issue.
The unions stated that if the 50 percent is allowed to be, it will impact on the constant dredging of the port channels, regular maintenance of the quay apron, maintenance of port jetties and terminals, manpower development discharge of its Corporate Social Responsibilities and staff welfare.
The unions however recommended that 30 percent of the agency’s IGR should be deducted while 70 percent is left for it to take care of its overhead cost and statutory responsibilities.
The unions said: “We have carefully studied this circular especially as it relates/affects the Nigerian Ports Authority and hasten to express our displeasure over same on the following grounds. Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is a self-funded Government Agency which receives zero allocation from the Government budget and taking a chunk of 50% of its internally generated revenue will as a matter of fact stall or impede the effective discharge of its corporate responsibilities and the consequential effect of this will not be palatable.
“Our channels are probably the shallowest in the West Africa Sub region especially the Eastern Ports channels, they require constant dredging without which vessels cannot be easily plotted to berth, Dredging of the Ports channels require huge financial outlay.
“This will be pretty ditty to achieve when 50% of its internally generated revenue Is removed, The resultant effect will lead to ship owners diverting their vessels to our nelghbouring countries where ease of doing business is provided.
“Almost all the Ports Quay Aprons are in bad shape due to old age and they therefore constitute grave danger not only to men but also to equipment. We had at one time or the other expressed fear over the dilapidated condition of our Ports Quay Aprons.
“Maintaining and sustaining healthy Quay Aprons is capital intensive and if our Quay Aprons are this bad now, one can only imagine what the situation would look like when NPA Is denied 50% of Its revenue. We need to be proactive as our neighboring countries are very ready to capitalize on our inability to provide the required infrastructure to attract ship owners.
“Maintenance of Ports, Jetties and Terminals is also capital intensive. Presently all the infrastructures in our Ports, Jetties and Terminals are in decrepit position, yawning for urgent repairs. How would they then look like when the Authority is denied 50% of its internally generated revenue? The situation is better imagined than described.
“A healthy and well-trained workforce is a pre-requisite condition for improved productivity and efficient service delivery. Needless to say, that Port operations is a specialized one that requires well trained workforce to compete favorably and take the lead to become the hub of maritime business in the West African sub region. A 50% deduction of NPA internally generated revenue will impede the attainment of this lofty dream.
“Nigerian Ports Authority operates in a hostile environment, especially in the Eastern axis. (Niger Delta). Discharge of corporate social responsibilities overtime have immensely doused their restiveness, and this has fostered a clement environment for the Authority and other stakeholders to operate.
“Automatic deduction of 50% of its internally generated revenue shall definitely leave the Authority, financially incapacitated to discharge these responsibilities to the host community which may lead them to resort to unhealthy activities.
“Staff welfare issues are issues that require urgent attention; failure of which usually lead to inclement industrial atmosphere. Automatic deduction of 50% revenue internally generated will incapacitate the Authority from prompt attendance to staff welfare matters which will lead to avoidable crises.
“Flowing from the above, we hereby reiterate our objection to the circular as it relates to the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“We recommend that 30% of the revenue internally generated by the Authority could be automatically deducted whilst 70% is left for the Authority to accomplish its overhead costs and statutory responsibilities, failure of which the Union would have no other option than to withdraw the services of its members from all port’s formations nationwide. “
