OKERENKOKO: Maritime university workers embark on indefinite strike over poor welfare, infrastructure

By Enaibo Asiayei

Workers at the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have embarked on an indefinite strike to protest non-payment of their allowances, poor staff welfare and poor infrastructure at the institution. 

In a resolution signed by Comrades Oweikeye Pathfinder Endoro and Moses Yabrade after a meeting at the university’s temporary campus in Kurutie, the staff unanimously endorsed the strike. 

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The resolution read in part, “Staff of NMU at all levels, namely academic and non-academic agree that the patience and understanding with management regarding the needs of staff has been long envisaged and misconstrued to imply ignorance and weakness.

“The only congress held out of pressure on the 19th of February 2021 where management in attendance promised to look into staff issues till date have not yet yielded any pleasant outcome, rather worsening and unabated.

“To this (end), staff have resolved as follows: workers’ 28 days in-lieu of accommodation for new employees be paid without further delay.

“Workers’ relocation allowance from Kurutie take-off campus to Okerenkoko, Abuja and Warri offices, covering expenses on accommodation, transport, furnishing and risk be paid without further delay.

“Staff 13th month payable every October be restored and arrears paid without delay from October 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively.

“Monthly general allowance to staff covering peculiarity, hazard, risk and others last paid in May 2019 should be paid without further delay. Accrued arrears of 30 months, May 2019 to October 2021.”

On facilities at the university, the workers said, “Teaching and learning facilities such as classrooms, offices and library especially at Okerenkoko main campus need urgent attention if the university is serious with the accreditation of her degrees.

“Medical facilities should be defined beyond mere paracetamol dispensing centres. A well-equipped secondary health centre befitting of an offshore university in the main campus should be addressed within the shortest possible period.

“Pending the actualization of the aforementioned demands, we hereby suspend our services for the institution indefinitely.”