Ahead of the upcoming elections in the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), young members of the Lagos Seamen District 1 have raised fresh concerns about leadership, urging the national leadership of the union to address what they describe as decades of stagnation in the district.
The appeal, directed at the MWUN President General, Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, and former PG, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju, and the Seamen President, Comrade Pastor Sunday Avoseh, calls for what the youths term “an end to slavery stipends and self-centered leadership” within the district.
According to the group, some grassroots executives have held on to offices in Lagos Seamen District 1 for nearly 20 years, rotating between positions without giving room for fresh voices. They argue that this has contributed to “moribund leadership, cheating, and lack of progress” in the district.
One of the emerging voices is Comrade Goodnews Sarah Hephzibah (formerly known as Badmus), who has been urged by colleagues to contest for the position of Secretary of Lagos Seamen District 1 under the Shipping Federation unit. In her response, she said her ambition is guided by faith and a commitment to service.
“I have good motives. As the Bible says, a man cannot direct his own way but God orders the steps of the righteous. I am a unionist, and the blood of unionism flows inside me. If God can favour others in leadership, I believe mine will not be exempted,” she stated.
District elections are expected to be held simultaneously across four districts in Lagos State under the Seafarers Branch:
Lagos Seamen District 1
Lagos Seamen District 2
Lagos Private Boat Water Transport District
Lagos Industrial Maintenance District
Only accredited delegates — specifically the five principal officers from each registered unit — will be allowed to vote. In District 1, the participating units are Shipping Federation, Orion, GAC, and Fender.
The youth movement within the union insists it is not against elders but against what they call a system of recycled leadership. They say new leaders should be given the chance to serve and modernize union operations, especially as Nigeria pushes further into the blue economy sector.
With elections drawing closer, observers expect Lagos Seamen District 1 to be closely watched as a testing ground for reform within the MWUN.
