By Victor Ahiuma-Young

PRESIDENT of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, has lauded the President- General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, for playing a critical role in his emergence as President of NLC. 

Ajaero who spoke during a working visit to the National Secretariat of MWUN on Osho Drive, Apapa, said “This is how you know a proactive leader. Let me first of all use this opportunity to thank Comrade Adeyanju. It is important I say this. My emergence as the NLC President today would not have been possible without Adeyanju. Please, help me to salute him.

“If I don’t say this, I am not being fair to myself. What he did, he did it between himself and God based on his conviction. You did not see me here (MWUN Secretariat) to lobby him. I have not been here since he became the President-General, I want to thank him once again.

 “The Union Secretariat is a corporate office like that of any bank you can  think of. I have visited various unions including mine.  I know how we are struggling, but when I came to MWUN Secretariat, I say, to God be the glory.  We commend Adeyanju for that. Thank you very much for transforming this place.

“The Union has waged a lot of struggles to be where you are today. The PG was talking about commissioning a guest house soon and I am happy for that. There is one other property you have at Okokomaiko that was abandoned for a long time, if the property has now been converted into an estate like the PG told me, it is a very big transformation.

“Before now, the property was lying fallow, but now that it has been converted, it shows visionary leadership.

“There was a time that Dockers’ welfare was a big issue in this union. It was protest today and protest the next day. But today, the Union has brought sanity to these challenges.  I never thought anybody could solve the problem of dockworkers the way it was.

“They were previously seen as never-do-wells in the sector. But today, the story has changed and everywhere is calm.  I must commend it and those that brought this from Irabor (Onikolease), Nted (Emmanuel) and to  Adeyanju.”