MWUN Leadership Aspirant Blames FG’s Policies for Workers’ Woes
One of the aspirants for the position of President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in the forthcoming election, Comrade Dahiru Abubakar has blamed the massive lay off of workers in the maritime industry on the bad policies of the federal government.
Abubakar, who stated this in his declaration speech, claimed that the future of the union is being threatened, adding that only a credible leadership will remedy the situation.
He added that the threat to the union’s existence is a mixture of internal and external forces, stressing that the massive layoffs due to bad government policies is also affecting MWUN finances.
“But we have not moved. This is the time to secure our future. On the other hand is our internal leadership of exclusivity, which has created divisions within the union, thereby burying the basis of unionism which is solidarity, we now painfully discus ‘I’ and not ‘we’ as the basis for statutory leadership delivery. Painfully, comrades are reminded of their ethnic blocks in service delivery, negotiations on behalf of the workers are not just treated as sacred but are skewed against them, more often than not. Our constitution is constantly under attack and breach. Simply put, the soul of MWUN has departed, workers have lost the power and the future very bleak,” he said.
The essence of leadership, he stated, is service delivery, “I therefore hereby offer myself for the leadership of MWUN as the President General in the forthcoming National Delegate Conference (NDC) in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. Here I am send me. With all humility, I declare that I am your messenger.”
If given the mandate to lead MWUN, he said his vision of service delivery will be anchored on a tripod of providing welfare and protection of members of the union, support government policies and to facilitate trade at the nation’s ports and waterways.
Following insinuations about plans by the outgoing leadership of MWUN to foist a candidate on the union, members from several chapels of the union had at a rally passed a vote of confidence on the leadership.
The workers, who turned out in their numbers, urged disgruntled members to close ranks and work with the leadership to move the union forward.
Speaking at the rally, President of the Dockworkers Branch of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, said: “With joy in our hearts, we the entire members of the union wish to commend our President General, Tony Nted for the good work you have done during your tenure.