MWUN PG, Bunu Commend Dockworkers for Alerting Security Agencies About Cocaine Shipment At Dangote Terminal, Apapa

—Reiterates Call for Resuscitation of Tally Clerks, Onboard Security Men At Ports

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Francis Bunu has commended the dockworkers who are members of the union for being a credible whistle blower in the seizure of Cocaine weighing 25.5kg onboard a Brazilian ship MV San Anthonio at the Dangote Port Terminal inside of Apapa port.

In an exclusive chat with DAILY TREND on Saturday, Comrade Bunu disclosed that the drugs where discovered by dockworkers that were carrying out their duty of offloading the vessel and they quickly alerted the security agencies.

The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service while handing over the drugs to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), confirmed that the illicit drugs were packaged in 24 parcels/slabs, hidden in five bags found aboard the ship.

The MWUN PG who subsequently visited the vessel to address dockworkers stressed the need for Federal government to heed the calls by the union for the return of Tally Clerks and onboard security men at the port.

According to him, this would ensure that Nigerian ports are safe and unwholesome cargoes like drugs, arms and ammunition would not continue to find their way into the country through the ports.

“The union would like to use this opportunity to re-emphasize the need for return of tally clerks and onboard gangway men into the port in order to stem the tide of drug importation into Nigeria.

“The dockworkers are the ones doing everything humanly possible to inform and tip off security agencies and relevant stakeholders when they see anything untoward onboard vessels.

“The dockworkers are doing a very good job, and I want the Federal government to intensify efforts on the training of the workers, especially as regards port security and how to detect unwholesome imports.

“The dockworkers have suffered in the ports, they are the ones carrying the highest loads, customs only declare the revenue. We want the Federal government to know that dockworkers are doing a very good job in this country, and they should be applauded for it” Bunu told DAILY TREND.

While addressing dockworkers when he visited the affected vessel, Comrade Bunu commended them for being patriotic, even as he urged them to always raise the alarm anytime they discover unwholesome imports onboard vessels.

“As a good citizen you must always raise the alarm on whatever you discover while offloading vessels, and this is what you have done.
“I must commend you for what you have donw. As a good citizen, you must join hands with the government to ensure Nigeria is a drug-free nation. Nigerian dockworkers are not accepting drugs on any of the vessels, anywhere you see such, make sure that you raise the alarm” he charged the workers.