The comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has urged the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) to embrace dialogue and halt the proposed strike at all ports.

Mr Adeniyi made this appeal during his team’s visit to the union’s headquarters in Lagos on Thursday.

Represented by Babatunde Olomu, the customs area controller in Apapa, Mr Adeniyi acknowledged the contributions of the maritime workers in the ports, noting that they generate more than 50 per cent of the service’s total revenue.

He stated that he had already engaged port operators on maritime workers’ challenges, aiming to provide sustainable solutions and recognise their roles in revenue generation.

“Interestingly, the NCS surpassed its revenue target of N6.1 trillion for the federal government in 2024, thanks to the seamless operations of all the maritime workers and port users,” he said.

He pleaded with the union to reconsider and suspend their proposed strike.

The MWUN national president, Adewale Adeyanju, commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing a grassroots person to head the NCS and pledged the union’s continuous support to enable customs to achieve the 2025 revenue target of N12 trillion.

“I want to assure the comptroller-general of customs that the union is no longer going on strike. We want to establish a ‘marriage of convenience’ with all port operators. We will follow due process as we want the government to address our challenges holistically.

“We are not saying that the government should not introduce a task force, but the government should have created awareness to enable truck owners to vacate the parking spaces they occupied,” Mr Adeyanju said.

Mr Adeyanju lamented the poor salaries of maritime workers, adding that the government should investigate and rescue the workers from what he termed “slavery.”

He said that the task force arrived around 3:00 a.m., damaged some trucks belonging to veteran union members, and demanded a fine of N500,000 before releasing the trucks.

Mr Adeyanju called on the government to call the task force to order to prevent a strike at the ports.

Also speaking, Remi Ogungbemi, president of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), commended the role of customs in port development.

“Before now, we used to clash with customs over cargo interception outside the ports, but through training, we have come to understand that the interceptions are often caused by clearing agents due to under-declaration of consignments.

“Most of our trucks are rickety because the money for repairs is spent on settling various issues,” Mr Ogungbemi said.

In his closing remarks, the deputy national president-general of MWUN, Toney Harry, commended the efforts of the customs area controller, Apapa, for taking the bold step.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) had proposed to embark on a strike on February 20.

The unions had issued a three-day ultimatum to the Lagos State government, demanding the immediate disbandment of two state committees and the unconditional release of all impounded trucks.

The unions have accused the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and the Special Traffic Management Committee in Apapa of engaging in arbitrary truck seizures, extortion and violence.

(NAN)