Protesting Global West Staff Demands, Payment of 8years Salaries, Threatens Shut Down Of NIMASA Offices nationwide

•Says 19 staff die due to hunger, starvation

By Felix Okpe

Protesting workers of the Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited, GWVSNL, have cried out over unpaid 19years salaries and allowances by Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, lamenting that they lost 19 staff for the failure of NIMASA to pay the company’s staff salaries and allowances for 8 years.

Congress News reported that since 2015, when the Federal Government abruptly terminated the company’s contract with the Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, staff salaries and allowances had not been paid.

Following an emergency meeting held in Warri, the Global West staff resolved to shut down NIMASA offices Nationwide.

Speaking to Congress News correspondent, the chairman of the working committee of GWVSNL workers, Mr Vincent Kemefa and Mr Albert Brakoru said; “It’s 8 years now NIMASA refused to pay GWVSNL workers salaries and allowances as a result we have lost 19 staff due to hunger, starvation, and different ailments since there is no money to take care of our families and love ones.”

Recall, President Muhammadu Buhari stopped the NIMASA/GWVSNL recovery and surveillance contract in 2011, in 2015, following alleged intelligence linking ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, Oweizide, alias Tompolo, currently handling pipeline surveillance contract for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

It was learned the $103 million contract was to provide patrol boats, communication equipment, maintenance, and stop bunkery, crew the boats, and GWVSNL got paid when it surpassed the revenue target, and a certain benchmark, which it would achieve before the hasty termination.

The chairman of the Working Committee of GWVSNL groaned that the staff of the company had undergone inexplicable sufferings and deprivations at the hands of different directors- Generals of the NIMASA over the years.

Kemefa said, “Early part of last month April, NIMASA Director-general agreed to pay GWVSNL workers, following the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Justice, and Attorney General of the Federation, who, through the Director, Citizens’ Rights Department in the ministry, F.K. Kebu, convened a meeting on the release of trapped funds.

“The Ministry sent an invitation to a meeting, entitled ‘Re: Appeal for Intervention for Release of Trapped Funds’, dated June 2022, to the workers through our consultant, Crowther Okiakpe.

“The outcome of the said meeting made the NIMASA Director- General to yield to the pressure of the various interventionists to pay the GWVSNL workers without delay.

“Unfortunately, the Minister of Transportation, recently, invited the Director General of NIMASA three consecutive times to discuss the way forward to pay the GWVSNL workers because he noticed a delay in the whole process. But sadly, the NIMASA Director-general refused to honour all the invitations of the Minister of Transportation.

“Today, that singular act of the director-general is causing provocation among the GWVSNL workers, coupled with the number of workers who had died due to hardship, and lack of medical attention. The majority of us are presently homeless and living in a frustrated and despairing life,” the workers stated in the communique.

“We are going to shut down NIMASA Offices Nationwide because we cannot continue to suffer this way any longer,” he said.

Our reporter learnt that, from 2015 to date, about 19 Global West workers had died due to hardship and lack of medical attention.

Therefore, the protesting GWVSNL staff in their present state of agony pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid and prevail on the Director- General (DG) of NIMASA to pay the workers before more staff died of starvation and lack of medical care.

Meantime, the c’ttee chairman gave names of the dead workers as:
1. MBONU GREG -GM,

2. ISANREN JOHNSON -Crew Manager,

3. EZO JOHN – HR.

INSPECTORS

4. FIYAI WILFRED
5. AKUGBENE ODUBOWEI
6. SUNNY UKWUTE

ENGINEERING DEPT

7. ADUKE BENEDICT -Port Engr
8. COMPANY PATRICK -Chief Engr
9. WILFRED SEIGHA -Chief Engr
10. EKANEM MARKSON -Electrician
11. BIRIPUDIGHA SMITH. A -2nd Engr

DECK OFFICERS

12. ATALAYA PETER Bosun
13. KEN KINGDOM ESEIMOKUMOR
14. YAIGE OYINEPRIYE Chief officer
15. ESEMIEGHA GABRIEL Bosun
16. FRENCH DOUGLAS
17. SUBI AUGUSTINE. QM
18. MOSES GAGHA.

SECURITY DEPT

19. DUMO DAVIS.”