IOnly surviving crew member of River Gurara, Lawal Lasisi is dead
...MWUN fears union may lose all aged seafarers if payment of pensions is delayed..
Segun Oladipupo
Like the biblical Moses who led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, who saw the promise land but never entered, so is the case of Pa Lawal Lasisi who was the only surviving crew member of River Gurara vessel which was part of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL)
Aged 93, Lasisi was part of the recent verification exercise for payment of pension for crew members of the NNSL which held at NPA play ground in Surulere. He participated in the exercise but will not part of the payment.
Unable to move independently, he was led to the venue by his daughter who held him by the hand. He was also no longer audible as his voice was strained due to old age..
Pa Lawal Lasisi, before his death, was the only surviving crew member of the River Gurara vessel as other members had died due to old age, sickness or incapability.
Speaking, the Deputy President General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Francis Bunu described his death as a big loss to the union.
He maintained that the union would miss the man with vast experience in seafaring.
He therefore called on the federal government to expedite actions on the payment of the pension for the remaining members who have been verified before they all pass away
The fear emanated from the death of one of those e that participated in the verification who was the only surviving crew member of Rive Gurara vessel, Lawal Lasisi died yesterday, 5th June, 2024.
The 93 years old seafarers was led to the verification venue but his daughter during the verification exercise carried out by the government to ascertain that the aged seafarers were still alive.
Recall that the aged seafarers praised the union leadership under the President General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju for initiating the move for the payment of pension to the seafarers 25 years after being laid off.
