Southern Star Shipping, Flour Mills, Apapa Bulk Terminal still owing 305 seafarers salaries 50 yrs after

By Isa Isawade

Programme Director of the Bureau of African Labour, Human and Democratic Rights (BALHADER), Comrade Uchenna Uzoije says the moribund Southern Star Shipping and its successors- Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited and their subsidiaries are still owing over 305 Nigerian Seamen deducted salaries, over half a century after.

Uchenna made this shocking revelation during a press briefing on Monday 29 September 2025 at the Akporo Community Hall, Ajegunle Apapa, Lagos.

While delivering his speech, entitled: “Over Half A Century Unlawful Deduction of Salaries of 305 Seafarers By NAT Scheme of Greece”, the human rights activist said all efforts to obtain justice for the hapless long-suffering ex-workers were yet to be fruitful.

Comrade Uchenna stated that the Bureau had written to the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), Mr. Steven Cotton, urging his intervention to recover the unlawfully withheld pension contributions deducted from salaries of the 305 Nigerian seamen by Southern Star Shipping Company between 1977 and 1982 under the Greece’s NAT scheme.

The Comrade said, though Southern Star Shipping was moribund, her successor, the Flour Mills of Nigeria, who acquired the assets and liabilities of the company should naturally take responsibilities over the entitlements of the acquired company employees.

Uchenna said: “Apapa Bulk Terminal operating berths 1-5 was financed by Flour Mills Limited making them equally culpable. Therefore, the numerous
denial by the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk Terminal that their company has no business with the 305 Seafarers is totally a false statement aimed at misleading the general public.

“Southern Star Shipping was incorporated in 1947 by Mr. George S. Cumantaros, with current address as 1370 Avenue, New York. The current President is Mr. John Coumantaros (since 2009) who succeeded his late father. In January 2025, Mr. John Coumantaros’ acquired all minority shareholders of Flours Mills making him the controller of the company.

“The Apapa Bulk Terminal which operates Berths 1-5 of Lagos Port Complex is 100% owned by Flour Mills Nigeria Limited.

“Also, the post-August 1978 Presidential Decree in Greece 913/1978 explicitly abolished coverage for thirdcountry nationals, making continued deductions legally unauthorized.

“The question begging for an answer is why have the owners of Southern Star Shipping, Flour Mills, Apapa Bulk Terminal failed to remit the deducted wages in US dollars to these 305 Seafarers till date?”

Comrade Uchenna added that so far, a total number of 39 Seafarers have died and that 5 of them are critically ill as at the time of the press briefing.

He wondered how Mr. John Cumantaros and his management team were able “to sleep at night knowing fully well that their actions have in no small measure brought untold hardship and untimely deaths to these seafarers. The ill treatment of 305 Seafarers is ongoing despite being members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).”

He said that the concerned employers seemed to be getting away with the impunity because they were the ones who imposed the union leaders upon MWUN which he regarded as a violation of convention 87.

Testifying at the press briefing was Comrade Monday Young Jack, a Patron of BALHADER, stated that he worked with Southern Star Shipping for many years and that despite all appeals to the successor company to refund his wages deducted under the guise of NAT scheme of Greece, nothing has been done.

He used this medium to plead to well-meaning Nigerians to intervene by appealing to the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Thompson Oludare to have compassion on him about his salaries account and fixed deposit account with Heritage Bank that are already taken over by the NDIC.

“I visited the NDIC Lagos office a total of 32 times in 2024. They always told me to come today, come tomorrow. BALHADER also wrote the former MD, Mr. Bello Hassan whose office promised to intervene. Up till now, nothing has been heard from them.

“I served our fatherland for 54 years! Why am I being treated like nobody?” The old man lamented.

Another member of the group, Comrade James Anoyomoh, clarified the situation concerning whether they were full time employees of Southern Star Shipping or not, as it was a contentious issue in the reply of the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk terminal.

Comrade James stated that they were all full-time staff most of who, after seamen, worked in other subsidiaries owned by Cumantaros.

Comrade Francis Agbogbo, a member of the Professional Seafarers Association of Nigeria (PSAN), commended the ITF for the steps taken so far at seeing that justice prevails for them. He explained that the ITF recovered over $57 million in unpaid maritime wages in 2023 through its global network of 125 plus inspectors across over 100 ports in over 50 countries, demonstrating concrete enforcement capabilities applicable to pension recovery claims.

He admonished his colleagues not to lose hope that their plight shall end in praise.

The press briefing came to an end as the Labour coalition called for a speedy action from the ITF and other international bodies so as to compel Flour Mills Limited, Apapa Bulk Terminal and their subsidiaries to refund the deducted salaries of all the 305 seafarers.

In attendance at the conference were members of BALHADER executives, representatives of Over5000 Maritime Workers, representatives of PSAN and concerned Nigerians.