The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has urged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to fast-track the production of a biometric identity card as it would curb crimes at the seaports.
President General of MWUN, Adewale Adeyanju, said the incessant misidentification of people who parade themselves in the port as dockworkers are becoming an embarrassment.
He said while crimes would always be at the port, identifying perpetrators of such crimes would be possible with proper means of identifying legitimate workers.
Adeyanju advised that the union was not against online biometric for dockworkers, but that the union must be carried along to avoid retired dockers registering as part of the current workforce.
He stated that since the online facility will be accessible to everyone, there should be an identification process to sieve out intruders from the system.
He, however, lauded the management of NIMASA for taking it upon itself to commence the process at this time.
MEANWHILE, NIMASA has indicated strong interest in the flag-off of the biometric identity cards on or before the end of January 2022.
The Head, Maritime Labour Services, NIMASA, Aliyu Lawal, gave the assurance after a meeting with the leadership of the MWUN at the union’s national secretariat in Lagos.
Lawal assured that all necessary equipment needed for the commencement of the exercise was already on the ground.