18th June, 2024
A frontline human rights organization, the Bureau of African Labour, Human and Democratic Rights (BALHADER) has brought respite for Comrade Yomi Adeoti who was abandoned in a hospital in Apapa after sustaining severe injuries at his workplace.
On the 29th of May 2024, at about 12:45 pm, Comrade Yomi Adeoti, while working onboard vessel “Invincible IMO” with registration number 9181170 registered in Panama which berths at Greenview Development terminal at Apapa port of Lagos, fell off and broke his leg.
Investigations revealed that Adeoti fell off due to the faulty ladder onboard the vessel. He was rescued by his colleagues who carried him out of the vessel in a pallet and rushed him to the hospital.
The Doctor on duty in the hospital which Greenview Development terminal bus conveyed Adeoti to asked them to deposit the sum of N50,000 to enable him commence treatment. But Greenview Development staff and the Dockworkers officials informed the doctor that they didn’t have such a sum with them.
The Greenview Development staff and the Dockworkers berth officials under the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria opted to give Comrade Yomi Adeoti the sum of N30,000 to go and treat himself using herbal means.
Comrade Adeoti thanked BALHADER and the Over 5000 Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria Group for standing by him during his trying times. That their donations have in no small measure uplifted him and his family.
He recalled how he was abandoned by Bluche Limited, APS and the MWUN in 2011, when he broke his leg while working in the below of a fishing vessel in berth 10 of the Apapa port of Lagos. That both the Operation Managers of Blueche Logistics Limited, Mr. Moses and that of Africa Port Services APS Limited, Mr. Akinsola with the MWUN official opted for the herbal treatment, claiming that they couldn’t afford the hospital bills.
“Afterwards, the MWUN official gave me the sum of N19,000 as compensation for my broken leg,” Comrade Adeoti said.
He wondered why he was being treated with disdain despite the fact that he was a dockworker before most of the officials parading themselves as union members today.
The Programme Director of BALHADER Comrade Uchenna Uzoije stated that he had to cut short his official assignment in Kogi State after he received calls on what happened to Comrade Yomi Adeoti. He wondered why Ultimate Marine Merchandize Limited, which is one of the contractors for Greenview Development terminal that employed Comrade Adeoti, kept mute so far.
He urges the owners of Greenview Development terminal Alhaji Aliko Dangote who is Africa’s richest man to, with immediate effect, terminate the contacts of Ultimate Marine Merchandize Limited for poor service delivery. He admonished the management of Greenview to reach out to Comrade Yomi Adeoti to compensate him adequately for the severe injuries he sustained while working in their terminal.
Comrade Uchenna further stated that Nigerians could now see the outcome of the imposition of union leaders upon the MWUN which so far displayed crass ineptitude which is one too many as they don’t know their left hand from the right hand.
He recalled that during the 21st of March, 2023 Conciliation Meeting, the Director of Registrar of Trade Unions in Nigeria Mr Amos Falonipe stated: “that the present leaders parading themselves as executives of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, the branch Executives of the Dockworkers and other branches are all illegal officers of the union”.
Mr Amos said that he paid an unscheduled visit to the venue of the re-election of Comrade Adewale Adeyanju and confronted the organizers that they failed to send an invitation letter to the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The organizers then pointed out a woman sitting at the high table of the venue that she was representing the Minister of Labour and Employment.
The Director of Registrar of Trade Unions Mr. Amos Falonipe confronted the said woman to ascertain if she was working with the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The strange woman confessed that she never worked with the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Comrade Uchenna further stated that all these facts and figures are before the Presidency as of the time of writing.
Additionally, he said he had written to the International Maritime Organization Secretary General Lim Kitach reporting the activities of the Invincible IMO vessels as well as the Director of the International Labour Organization, International Dockworker Council, International Transport Workers Federations, Federal Maritime Council, the Secretary General of Amnesty International and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, His Excellency George Akume.
The letter reads in part as follows:
REFUSAL TO PAY INJURED DOCK WORKER WHO FELL OFF ONBOARD VESSEL INVCIBLE IMO IN GREENVIEW DEVELOPMENT TERMINAL OF APAPA PORT OF LAGOS DUE TO THEIR FAULTY LADDER
On behalf of the Central Working Committee of the Bureau of African Labour, Human and Democratic Rights (BALHADER), we would like to seek your office’s purposeful interventions on the above.
On the 30th of May 2024 at about 15:30 pm one of the members of the Bureau Comrade Yomi Adeoti called me to say that he was hospitalized from the severe injuries he sustained while carrying out his lawful duty at the Greenview Development terminal in Apapa port of Lagos. He further stated that he fell off onboard the vessel due to their faulty ladder and broke his leg.
The vessel’s name is “Invincible IMO with the registration number 9181170 registered in Panama ” which berths at Greenview Development terminal at Apapa port of Lagos. Comrade Yomi Adeoji was thereafter taken to a nearby private hospital in Apapa of Lagos. The representative of the Dockworkers Union visited him and gave him the sum of N30,000 for his medical care.
The owners of the private hospital administered first aid treatment to Comrade Yomi Adeoji and asked him to leave their hospital only to come when he could afford the full treatment money. The recruitment agent that engaged him to work for Greenview Development terminal where vessel Invincible IMO 9181170 has refused to cooperate.
On the 315 of May, 2024. Comrade Yomi Adeoji left the private Apapa hospital for a cheaper hospital in a local area. Some members of BALHADER and the Over5000 Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria Group contributed to his medical care, feeding and other expenses. Comrade Yomi Adeoji is presently recovering in his Lagos residence. Up till the time of writing Greenview Development terminal has yet to call nor send a delegation to see him concerning the severe injuries he sustained due to Invincible IMO’s negligence of having a faulty ladder onboard their vessel.
CONCLUSION
From the foregoing the need for the office of the President of Nigeria to intervene here has been established. We are appealing to Mr. President to set up a fact-finding team to investigate all that has been said here.
Concerning the vessel “Invincible IMO with the registration number 9181170 registered in Panama” which berthed at Greenview Development terminal with a faulty ladder that led to the severe injuries of Comrade Yomi Akoji, the vessel is presently anchorage at the Onne Oil and Gas FTZ port. The fact-finding should start their findings with them.
Furthermore, the Presidency should query the Ministry of Labour and Employment on why they have delayed bringing an end to the protracted crisis that had bedevilled the MWUN for several years. The way forward is for the Ministry of Labour and Employment to constitute a “Caretaker Committee” which shall manage the affairs of the MWUN for 6 months. Thereafter a proper National Delegate Conference shall then be conducted in line with the Union constitution.
Additionally, the Presidency should direct the “Fact-Finding team” to see that adequate compensation is given to Comrade Yomi Adeoti in line with the “Public Vessel Act 1925 on severe injuries sustained by a Seaman/Dockworker working on a vessel.
Always count on our unflinching support and patriotic cooperation, in our joint effort to redirect and revamp our Fatherland for the growth and stability of our great country Nigeria.