Merchant Navy promises to domesticate ITF salary standard for seafarers
...Shipping Zonal Council elects new officers
Segun Oladipupo
The Shipping Zonal Council of the Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) elected new executives at the union’s secretariat in Lagos on Tuesday.
The executives who were returned unopposed are: Captain Saliu Adetayo Awonuga, Chairman; Engr. Pius Ogbeide, Vice Chairman, Engr. Okechukwu Abel, Secretary,
2nd Officer Lois Njoku, Treasurer, Engr. Dickson E. Ukuti, Auditor.
Others include; Engr. Okunade Keji, Financial Secretary, and Comrade Princess Christiana Philips, Assistant Financial Secretary, and Comrade Ifeanyi A. Chukwu, Admin/Asst Secretary.
In his acceptance speech, Awonuga vowed that his administration will work hard to domesticate the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s salary standard for seafarers in Nigeria
The Chairman of the Shipping Zonal Council of the Union stated this in an interview with journalists after emerging the chairman of the zonal on an election conducted at the secretariat of the union on Tuesday.
He maintained that the process which had begun, will see the.light of the day because according to him, there is already a green light.
Captain Awonuga who stated the he would achieve the feat in conjunction with the parent body, added that during his first term in office, they were able to move the association from where it was to where it is now.
“Captain Saliu Adetayo Awonuga, Chairman, Shipping Zonal Council of the Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA)
“It has not been rosy but we are dogged, we have to start from somewhere and build on it, we brainstorm and fashion a way out. With the cooperation of my exco members, we.were able to leave where we were to where we are now.
“In conjunction with the national, we intend to have ITF salary scale for officers and we are in the process and I believe that in no few time, the approval will come to NIMASA
“We want to continue to woo many companies because when you have financial strength as an association, you will have power,” he stated.
Also speaking on the sideline of the election, the Vice President, NMNOWTSSA, Engr. Olawale George Oluwanisola, appreciated God for the success of the election saying in the spirit of comradeship, the association was able to manage the first tenure without fracas
“It was the most successful regime that Shipping Zonal Council can ever record for the past twenty five years that I have been in Nigerian Merchant Navy
“They have a platform on which they are running, the onus lies on them to run but advice to them now is to fly because the sky is open unto them and they should be able to fly to lift the Shipping Zonal Council to a greater height,” Engr. George submitted.
The immediate past President of the group, Engr. Matthew Alalade expressed joy in the conduct of the election even as he exuded confidence that the new executives will deliver on their mandates.
He there fore called on the executives to lift the Zonal Council higher than they met it.
His words, “The election is a progressive one from the last administration to the new one due to the good job that they have done.
“The election has been a peaceful one no rancour, I will say it is a parley election, so we thank God for that.
“By God’s grace they will deliver because we have looked into their papers and what they intend to offer us, definitely, they will deliver
“My advice to them is that they should uplift this zone more than what obtained in the last four years.”
Speaking, Reginald Onyeobi advised the organisers to put better preparations on ground in subsequent elections saying that the process was not tidy
“This election is just changing of baton or transition within same people but we just had to conduct it even though the organisers did not properly advertise,”
