Looking for the most hit sector of the economy by the joint forces of recession and forex scarcity, the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Mr Emmanuel Anthony Nted has revealed that the maritime sector remains the industry to beat.
Explaining why he thought so at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) and Special Delegates Conference in Lagos Thursday, he disclosed that the industry lost well over 6,000 jobs and still counting.
Noting that many companies in the sector had folded up, he explained that a tour of Apapa axis of the state will explain more as virtually every hitherto lively street and roads can best be described as dead zone due to silence occasioned by massive closure of businesses.
Nted further painted a pathetic picture of the scenario as it affected shipping firms which he said had relocated to other countries due to the prevailing economic situation.
According to him, “The economic recession is really affecting and biting the union very hard. I feel sad to say that over 6000 members of our union have lost their jobs since the recession began and many more are facing job insecurity, thus exposing the lives of their families to serious jeopardy”.
“In fact, Intels alone retrenched over 3,000 workers because of harsh operating environment. Many shipping companies have been forced to close shop and have since relocated to other countries, thus compounding the job crisis in the industry.
“We sincerely implore the government to find urgent solution to recession before things go out of hand.
“Our government seems genuinely concerned about the level of hardship in the country, but does not seem to know what to do to end the recession. Hence, we call on all Nigerians to seek the intervention of God through their prayers because without God, all things are impossible.”
