The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and other aggrieved stakeholders yesterday confirmed they are in support of the three days warning strike declared by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, which is scheduled to start Wednesday, 9th December 2020, protesting the overwhelming queues of of heavy duty trucks along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway leading to traffic congestion.
According to President General of MWUN, Prince Adeyanju Adewale, “The National Executive Council, NEC, in-Session wishes to draw the attention of the Federal Government once again to the deplorable state of the access roads to the Lagos seaports, and the dangers this pose to lives and properties. “To avoid the continuous and unnecessary deaths as well as loss of man hours on the failed roads, the NEC-in-session calls on the Federal Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to urgently fix the access roads and make them motorable. “The NEC in-session unanimously approves the Central Working Committee, CWC, recommendation that the union proceeds on a three-day warning strike to bring to the public space our disappointment over the total neglect of the access roads to Lagos ports by successive government and the urgent need for government to repair the roads.”
The traffic gridlock has stalled businesses in the area and made life unpleasant for residents. The MWUN over the weekend convened a meeting for stakeholders in the maritime sector, enlightening them on the need for the strike. The warning strike will last for three days after which the union would decide the next line of action, if the government failed to fix the roads leading to the two ports. In addition, he stated that the strike was initially shelved due to appeals from the government to give them more time.
In response, the federal government has once more pleaded to the union not to commence the strike, stating that the initial planned work on the expressway was impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent nationwide #EndSARS protests. The MWUN is opting to give the government a benefit of the doubt by delaying the planned strike till Wednesday 9th December.
Mr. Prince Adeyanju Adewale, in a Press Statement stated that “We have decided to put the warning strike on hold till Wednesday December 9, to sensitize other stakeholders in the ports why we have to embark on the warning strike. “Since the information became public, many of them have been calling and begging for time. They insisted that they are not against our action because the seemingly intractable gridlock is also affecting them and that they are indeed in total support of our planned action. “But they said it is too sudden and pleaded that we give them time to prepare. So, we have decided to give them two days to prepare. Consequently, the warning strike will now start on Wednesday, December 9, instead of tomorrow (today) as earlier resolved.”