By Abbas Nazil
The Federal Government has finally agreed to a pension buyout for the aged former employees of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), signaling the possible end to a protracted battle over unpaid pensions and disengagement benefits that has lasted nearly 30 years.
This development was revealed by the immediate past President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Prince Adewale Adeyanju, during his valedictory speech at the Union’s 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference (NDC) held in Lagos.
Adeyanju, who has been a vocal advocate for the seafarers’ rights, stated that the government had approved a pension buyout for the affected aged seafarers, a move that marks significant progress in the long-drawn effort to settle their entitlements.
Although specific details of the buyout have not been disclosed, the development has been welcomed as a major breakthrough in a matter that has spanned successive administrations since the liquidation of the NNSL in 1995 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The union leader praised the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, for his proactive role in pushing the matter forward.
According to Adeyanju, a committee had been set up to address the issue, and its report has already been submitted to the minister and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for further action.
The fotmer MWUN boss urged the government to act swiftly, emphasizing that many of the aged seafarers are in dire need of financial support for healthcare and basic survival, while others have died waiting for their entitlements.
He lamented that despite a valid court judgment mandating the government to pay the seafarers their benefits, the issue had remained unresolved for decades.
Adeyanju noted that the union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), conducted a thorough verification of the former workers and the next-of-kin of deceased employees, lamenting, however, that the outcome of the verification exercise is yet to be made public.
The former MWUN president emphasized that it is high time the government provided clarity on the numbers—how many beneficiaries are alive, how many have passed on, and who their legal next-of-kin are—so that proper negotiations for the pension buyout can begin.
He stressed that the entitlements of the seafarers, who contributed significantly to the nation’s maritime sector, must not be neglected or treated with levity.