Comrade Sunday Avoseh Returned Unopposed As President, MWUN Seamen Branch

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Comrade Sunday Avoseh has been returned unopposed as the President of the Seamen Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) for a second term of four years in office.

The election took place at the 6th Quadrannial Branch Delegate Conference of the Union which held on Thursday 26th, June 2025 at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt.

Comrade Avoseh was returned unopposed alongside six other executives including; Comrade Ebiye Atou as Vice President, Jonah Jumbo as Treasurer, Boro Ekotoro as Trustee, Steven Ezekiel as Trustee, Great Edemumoh as Auditor and Zainab Lawal Female Representative.

In his acceptance speech, he appreciated members for the vote of confidence reposed on him, even as he vowed to ensure better job opportunities for the seafarers, and to fight for the implementation of the amendments to the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention MLC 2006.

He said “As you have bestowed this leadership responsibility on me for another four years, I promise that I will not disappoint you, we are going to be working together and achieve greater heights.

“We are calling on all our employers and shipowners across the country that it is not going to be business as usual, we are not going to allow foreigners to continue taking our jobs, and we are not also going to allow differentials in remuneration between foreigners and indigenous seafarers in this country.

“By the special grace of God, job opportunities would be coming for our people.
We are trusting God that the ongoing new partnership to bring back the National carrier would bring jobs to our people so that they can also get remuneration, we are going to support the federal government in this regard.

“The amendment to the MLC 2006 that was done recently would be pursued vigorously to ensure that there is a better remuneration for seafarers in Nigeria”

Speaking earlier, President General of MWUN, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi urged the federal government to expedite action on the payment of pension and gratuity of the aged seafarers that were staff of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).

“They are due for payment and we don’t want casualties again. We also use this opportunity to thank the Federal government for what they are doing through NIMASA”

“NIMASA is currently the first friends that this union has. Recently we reported a vessel that is not sea worthy for our members working on it, and immediately, a department from NIMASA went onboard, did a thorough job that we have never seen before.

“They told the company that the vessel is not sea worthy and must go on dry docking with immediate effect. We need dedicated staffs like this in all federal government parastatals” Bunu stated

He appreciated NIMASA for upgrading the outlook of discharge booklets for seafarers which hitherto was not befitting.
He urged NIMASA to ensure that the discharge booklets are made available at all their offices for seafarers to have easy collection.

Bunu also assured that the union would support the federal government in any move to resuscitate the National carrier in order to ensure more employment for the seafarers.

He equally commended the President of Seamen Branch, Comrade Sunday Avoseh, saying that he has done a marvellous job, describing him as a reliable, tested and trusted hand.
The MWUN PG however sounded a note of warning to all District Chairmen coming onboard leadership roles, saying that it would no longer be business as usual.

“We can no longer be using our districts for experiments again, this time around, District Chairman of the people’s choice should be elected to work for the people, not my choice.
They must be held accountable, the era of putting people as District Chairmalen based on sentiments are over.

Some of the districts are now moribund because they are not working because it was somebody that put them in office, not by merit.

“Right now, enough is enough, if you are performing, there is no room for you” he said

On his part, the immediate past President-General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju lauded the union members for the seamless election, saying that a house properly connected would always produce a good result.

The current President General is doing a good job, the alignment that has been laid down is working according to the plan. Our own is to seat back now and continue to give advice.

“Elections should not be done like a do or die affair, in a family, there are meant to be dissenting voices, but the President General is doing a great job.
The arrangement we have put in place is sustainable and I do not see it having any problems in the nearest future, I will only appeal that everyone should take it easy” he said

On the plight of the aged seafarers, Comrade Adeyanju assured that the file for payment is now at the Ministry of Finance, even as he revealed that the union has negotiated a pension buyout with the Federal Government.

He urged seafarers to keep the flag flying and be focused. He warned that seafarers engaging in stowaway needs to be stopped.