MWUN President frowns at invasion of shipping companies by armed security operatives

• Threatens to withdraw services from ports if …

The President-General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Prince Adewale Adeyanju, has condemned in strong terms the invasion of five shipping companies by armed security operatives, as well as harassment of MWUN members, who are workers in the companies.

The MWUN President, disclosed that the act was carried out by Federal Committee on Competition and Consumer Protection, along with armed security operatives, who even seized phones belongings to members of the Union.

In a press statement signed and made available to our Correspendent, Prince Adeyanju explained that
agents of the Committee along with heavily armed security men invaded Cosco Shipping, Hullblyth, CMA/CGM, Cansal and Hapad Llyod, where members of MWUN work and forcefully seized their phones without any justification.

His assertions :
“I wish to bring to the general public the sudden and shocking invasion of five shipping companies by agents, who claimed to be from the Federal Committee on Competition and Consumer Protection.

“We have been informed that agents from the Committee escorted by heavily armed police men and army personnel invaded the work premises of our members in Cosco Shipping, Hullblyth, CMA/CGM, Cansal and Hapad Llyod and proceeded to unleash mayhem on innocent members of the Union.

“They seized their personal phones without any justification and held them hostage against their will, even as they refused them movement outside their various offices”.

The President-General of MWUN pointed out :
“While we are not against Government agencies doing their work, we believe that laid down procedures must be followed. Secondly, we do not believe that any category of workers should be subjected to this inhuman treatment.”

He added :
“Our enquiries at Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), which is the regulatory Agency for all shipping companies indicated that they were not informed nor aware of this invasion of our members’ places of work..

“We urge that this invasion of our members’ places of work and keeping them hostage be immediately investigated by appropriate authority, for the sake of industrial harmony in the ports.”

He warned :
“Should this kind of invasion continues without due process, the Union will have no option than to withdraw the services of its members from the ports”.