The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Maritime Branch, has said that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) after the 2006 port concession is now under-staffed.
It however urged the management to increase its workforce for effective performance of the agency.
The National president of the senior staff union, Comrade Adamu Ya’u, in a chat with Maritime correspondents in Lagos, noted that there has been a steady decline of NPA’s workers between 2006 to date, stressing the need for management to recruit young Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones.
Giving a detailed statistical evaluation of the workforce in the agency, Yau said that pre-concession era had 13,000 workers under it’s employs but that less than 4,000 are left.

The Trade Union of Congress affiliate boss revealed that on a yearly basis the agency retire workers without immediate replacement which, according to him, might have a ripple effect on workers’ morale.
On the last recruitment in NPA, he explained that the only employment made in the last 12 years was in 2016 when a total of 150 persons were engaged in the fire service department.
Ya’u also debunked insinuations about secret recruitment by the management of NPA, insisting that no such thing happened.
“NPA is under-staffed and we need workers there because before concession we were about 13,000 workers but after concession we are only 4,000 plus.

“Every year people are retiring and the number of workers are reducing yearly. We need to have an effective succession plan to take NPA to the next level.
“We are always crying for an efficient succession plan but without the workers in place there will be a problem in the area of performance,” the union leader stated.
“Less than 150 people were employed for the fire service department just two years ago. It is true the union does not have the right to force management to employ but we can engage and advice management on the need to recruit workers”, Yau said.
He also lauded management for NPA led by Hadiza Bala Usman on the move to review workers remuneration, adding that the union will continue to support her leadership style in ensuring that workers are well taken care of.