Organised Labour Kicks Against Directive for Deduction of NPA’s 50% IGR
PRESIDENT TINUBU
*It will cripple operational activities – labour leaders
By Our Reporter
Members of the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies, SSASCGOC, have come out to oppose the circular directing the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to deduct and remit 50 percent of its internally generated revenue, IGR, into the federation account.
The circular was passed to the authority by the Ministry of Finance.
But MWUN and SSASCGOC argued that this will be dangerous to ports operations and development.
The two unions said at a press conference held in Lagos that instead of 50 percent deduction, the Ministry should be asking for 30 percent so that ports operations will not be affected.
The President General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju and his counterpart, Akinola Bodunde, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to stop the Finance Ministry from its decision to avoid a looming industrial crisis.
The two labour leaders said, “We recommend that 30 per cent of the revenue internally generated by the Authority could be automatically deducted whilst 70 per cent 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 Ports formations nationwide.”
According to the unions, allowing 50 percent deductions will impact negatively on maintenance of dredging of the port channels, quay apron, port jetties and terminals, manpower development discharge of NPA’s Corporate Social Responsibilities and welfare of workers.
The Unions added, “We have carefully studied this circular especially as it relates/affects the NPA and hasten to express our displeasure over same on the following grounds. NPA is a self-funded government agency which receives zero allocation from the government budget and taking a chunk of 50 per cent 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 West Africa, especially the eastern ports channels. They require constant dredging without which vessels cannot be easily piloted to berth, dredging of the ports channels require huge financial outlay.
;;This will be pretty difficult to achieve when 50 per cent of its internally generated revenue is removed. The resultant effect will lead to ship owners diverting their vessels to our neighbouring 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 percent 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 percent 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 per cent deduction of NPA internally generated revenue will impede the attainment of this lofty dream.’’
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
