MWUN hosts Western Port Police CP, charges maritime agencies on need for necessary equipment for effective policing
MWUN hosts Western Port Police CP, charges maritime agencies on need for necessary equipment for effective policing
Segun Oladipupo
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Thursday, hosted the Commissioner of Police in charge Western Port Police Command, CP Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba who was on operational tour to the union.
This is contained in a press statement by Comrade Ikemefuna Kennedy, Head, Media, MWUN
The CO who was in company of his management team including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Ibrahim Abdu, O/c of the CP Monitoring team, CSP Ojo Ahmed, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, CSP Ibimode Adeleye amongst others, commended the union for its lofty achievements.
According to him, the visit was aimed at familiarising himself with stakeholders under his command .
Speaking, the Port Police boss.expressed pleasure over the reception accorded him and his team at the Union’s secretariat, which he described as monumental and unprecedented.
He also noted that the Maritime Workers Union and the Command have formed a community synergy with the visit which he said was one of the basic reasons for the all important visit.
He enjoined the union members to see the Police as brothers and not mere friends as goes the popular cliche as the Police cannot work in isolation without the Union, who is a major stakeholder in the maritime industry.
The CP in his speech also described the President General of the union, Dr Adeyanju as a brother saying his office is fully open to the PG at all times; stressing he was impressed with the kind of personalities in the executives of the Union.
On his part, Prince Adewale Adeyanju who doubles as the Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expressed.delight on the visit if the CP describing him as a versatile officer
Adeyanju who is also the Vice President Global, International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) promised to work together with the command assuring the command that the era of thuggery and hooliganism had since gone into the limbo, hence, the Union has been digitalized with crops of well trained Union workers both at the jetties, oil & gas platforms and the nation’s sea ports.
Comrade Adeyanju also assured the Command that he’s going to take its issue of effective policing to both Dr Dayo Mobereola, the Director -General of NIMASA and Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, who he described as great gentlemen of the sector to intimate the two heads of parastatals on the need to equip the police properly.
He said, “You cannot appoint a police officer into a designation without the necessary equipment made available for crime prevention and protection of property.”
Explaining the operations of the union to his guests, the PG also made it known to CP that most times, the Union can issue threats of strikes if after having exhausting all necessary stipulated avenues with the government or stakeholders and positive responses aren’t forthcoming.
The PG also noted the economic implications of shutting down the gateway of the nation’s economy, hence, the Union is always tactical and diplomatic about strikes until the Union is interfaced with a meaning dialogue to resolving whatever industrial disputes that came up.
The Union was also of the view that with Mr Ibrahim at the helms of affairs at the Port, having struck this declared community synergy, the port environment will be in a conducive atmosphere for operations.
