LAGOS – It was celebration galore last weekend when the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), honored the former Executive Director of Maritime and Operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hon. Onari Brown and Charles Bamidele Okaga, Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Apapa of NPA.
This honour, according to the MWUN was to express gratitude to the duo for their exemplary services and the cooperation extended to the Union, which by extension, brought about peace and unity in the maritime sector.
The hosting, coordinated by the President-General of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, took place at the secretariat of the Union in Lagos on July 19, 2024.
EXPOSED!! POPULAR ABUJA DOCTOR REVEALED HOW MEN CAN NATURALLY AND PERMANENTLY CURE POOR ERECTION,QUICK EJACULATION, SMALL AND SHAMEFUL MANHOOD WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. EVEN IF YOU ARE HYPERTENSIVE OR DIABETIC ..STOP THE USE OF HARD DRUG FOR SEX!! IT KILLS!
Adeyanju commended Onari Brown and Charles Okaga for being sources of support to the Union.
He appreciated them for having the interest of the workers at their hearts.
He said: “Onari Brown is a wonderful leader who has assisted MWUN in many ways. Whatever ultimatum we will give out to the government and the NPA minutes to him, he will never play with it. He will call us to dialogue on the way out.
“We are not praise singers and we don’t worship employers but we worship those ones that are good and we recognize those that are workers-friendly, who pay our wages as at when due. Since the beginning of this Union, Onari Brown is the second Executive Director that has visited the Union One is from NIMASA. Some other from other parastatals believe that this is a den of lions. That we will devour them. The two gentlemen here have supported this union in many ways,” Adeyanju asserted.
He call on all and sundry to shun ego in whatever they are doing saying that it will not lead one to any good thing.
“Port manager should behave like a port manager. Don’t introduce ego. Ego will not lead you to anywhere. Rather it will pull you down.
Speaking about the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Adeyanju said:
“Charles Okaga has been with us for long. If we are talking about unionism, if we are even talking about our constitution, every page, as a lawyer, he understands. If the former MD direct us to meet Charles, I will say let us be careful, because he understands all our antics. We allcontributed to the success in the port. What the terminal operators are enjoying today emanates from us. He is a very peaceful man. He is never disconnected from workers and from the Union. He is a technocrat who study cargoes very well.”
He said the union is laying down a precedent which call for celebration of good work and excellence.
“If they fail to celebrate us, we will celebrate them.”
Adeyanju emphasised that the Union is doing a great job of reformation. He noted that workers of the Union are no longer area boys, but are doing very well professionally.
He stated that the Union will work hand in hand with Abubakar Dantsoho, the new Managing Director of NPA.
“We at MWUN are reformists. Our dock workers are no longer ‘agberos’ ”
“We are using this medium to tell the new MD of NPA that MWUN will support him and work with him. I also advise him not to listen to sycophants.”
Responding, Okaga commended Adeyanju for the warm welcome and his efforts in building up the Union.
He also praised Onari Brown for being an upright person.
Advertisement
“This is very-very overwhelming. Overwhelming in the sense that there was no prior notice. I got a call that I should visit the secretariat only to come and meet a red carpet.
“I want to thank the President General of MWUN for uncommon achievements and landmark. A President General that converted the Union from war-war to peace-peace. The man with an extreme gentle disposition but highly effective, highly accomplishing and highly productive. The Deputy President Nigeria Labour Congress 1; the Vice President ITF. I want to salute also very specially by boss, he is not only my boss.
Okaga extended a very special accolade to the leadership of MWUN for inviting them and honouring them at the occasion.
“I salute MWUN for inviting us to this onerous occasion. Your action is audacious and it beats my imagination.”
“This honour given to us cannot be forgotten because there cannot be a higher honour than this as it was not solicited for, induced or complained of.”
“MWUN is synonymous to NPA. It sees dock labour work as a work that does not stop at the dock. It is now moving in line with the movement of Nigeria economic frontier outside of the immediate board. It has been working hand in hand with NPA consistently to promote progress and take care of seafarers and dock workers .Today, we have very vibrant, responsive and extremely productive dock workers.”
“I believe that Onari Brown is prepared for higher responsibilities. He is a man of the people and a very good fellow. He is the kindest human being I have ever met on earth. He is very humble and he has taught us that position must not separate us from our grass root.”
Also, Onari while appreciating the Union’s kind gesture, thanked and acknowledged Adeyanjufor spearheading it.
He also thanked the workers of the Union for being sources of support to him. However, he encouraged MWUN to be closely connected with the new NPA MD.
Onari said: “The management team of the Maritime Workers Union, all the maritime workers, today is a very special day to me. It is very special because of just one thing. That it is not because I am still in office and you will be expecting some goodies from me. Not because I am in office that I will come to advocate for Maritime Workers Union, but that seven months after leaving office, a Union like Maritime Workers Union will call me specially to honourme today in this manner. It is so overwhelming.
“It was so thoughtful of you because even if you have just called me alone, I will still give the honour to whom honour is due. Charles Okagahas been a pillar of support and some others too, to this particular Maritime Workers Union . You cannot take him away at all. I know one thing for sure that the maritime workers union took their time before joining Charles and me for this honour.
“From my very first contact with you, we agree to work together. At time I will get altimatumupon ultimatum, I will give a call to PG to come, he will come, not even take this as transport, sometimes, I will even be scared for his safety and his integrity. We thank God for the fact that a man of integrity is a man of integrity anywhere, anytime and any day. We thank God for the people behind him. They have known him and no one has said that this ultimatum we gave him to the ED, he is shifting it because he has collected money.
“I have never heard that. This is a man who has legal powers, who has hefty men behind him, that can do any level of violence, and he is so humble. Not drunk with power with actions that can throw the country into chaos.
“I am not surprised that he is the Deputy President Nigeria Labour Congress. Also, my brother Charles is one out of the two persons I can call upon in whatever I am doing. I can consult with, he is one of the two. It is very overwhelming and I can only say thank you.
“I couldn’t imagine MWUN will honour me in this manner after seven months of leaving office. It is so overwhelming. I thank Adeyanjuand for working with me while I was in office and I thank other workers for supporting him.”
He appealed that members of the Union should continue to cooperate and work with Adeyanju.
“MWUN should continue working with NPA. It may not be smooth always, but after the storm, there will always be calm, it is the storm that brings out the strength of the eagle, you are so resilient at all time.
“I also appeal to you to extend the same support you have given to me to my successors. They may be new in the industry and they may not have the same approach as I am, but overtime, you will understand each other better.”
The climax of the event was presentation of gifts to Hon Onari and Barrister Okaga.
They praised the Union workers for their continuous hard work in creating a good image of the Union.
