The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has urged the federal government to prioritise dredging of Calabar, Warri and Port-Harcourt ports.
A statement by Dr Sam Idiagbonya, Special Adviser to the Minister of Transportation, Media and Publicity, in Lagos on Friday, said the president of MWUN, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, said this during a visit to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Mu’azu Sambo.
Idiagbonya said the dredging would forestall the flooding being witnessed in Lokoja, Kogi.
“My visit is to congratulate the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo on his appointment and discuss some important matters bothering the association.
“I want to use the occasion to call on Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to speed up the process of issuance of Biometric Identity Cards to dock workers and Seafarers Identification Document (S.I.D) to Seafarers.
“This will checkmate the influx of unauthorised persons at the ports,” he said.
Responding, Sambo said maritime workers were vital not only to the maritime industry but to the Nigerian economy as a whole.
He noted that his tenure was short and would require support, advice and guidance to enable him leave legacy projects before May 29, 2023.
“If we deliver on our promises before the end of this administration, we will have left some legacies for Nigerians. On the other hand, those we didn’t achieve will be a foundation for others to build on,” said the minister.
He told the union that he was part and parcel of the maritime industry, having started his public service career with the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“Sheer providence has brought me back to the sector; hence I have no reason to tell Nigerians that I recorded not a single achievement while at the helm of affairs in transportation Ministry,” he said.
