THE LABOUR ICON, COMRADE ADEYANJU
* Emerges NLC Deputy President
By Comrade John K. Ikemefuna, MWUN Media Dept.
Comrade (Prince) Adewale Adeyanju who recently emerged as the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at the just concluded 13th National Delegates Conference held at the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja is also the current President – General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), who will now combine his chapter’s primary assignment of the union with that of the congress respectively.
Adeyanju, born a bonafide Prince of Oyo (ATIBA) is a notable unionist and a dogged maritimer who is set to take his union’s sterling leadership to bear in the congress as recently elected. There’s no doubting the ability and capacity of the Numero uno Dockworker in Nigeria, who has immensely excelled in all phases of the industrial sector in Nigeria; however, his strong penchant towards the welfare of workers in the maritime industry cannot be overemphasized.
Adeyanju’s unique disposition while addressing workers issues, especially in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and that of employers and employees relationship has generated to him so much accolades from Nigeria vis -a-vis the West African sub-region, Africa and the global world of labour.
Adeyanju’s decisive actions has changed the negative attitudes and the usual ugly narratives of both employers and employees across Nigeria nay Africa. In this regard, the labour union icon, Comrade Adeyanju’s industrial action towards one of the defaulting maritime outfits in Lagos in respect of negotiating workers good welfare package for their workers in the maritime sector in the recent past, which indeed was successful after a four – day industrial strike action in the country, which was a a pointer to why their sister company in Liberia recalled her sacked workers to work with immediate effect giving credence to Adeyanju’s action in Nigeria!
The man Adeyanju whose veins run with positive mien of unionism started from the scratch as a Dockworker in Apapa Port, Lagos. His attitude towards colleagues and others alike and e his superiors endeared him to the hearts of all of them. Little wonder, he rose from all the ranks in the harbour until he became the national treasurer of the union; a position he held for eight years of two tenures each. Adeyanju has diligently served as treasurer of the Maritime Workers Union under the administration of the then President – General, Comrade Peter Irabor.
Thereafter, he proceeded to become the President of the Dockworkers’ Branch of the union. He held this lofty position for eight years of two tenures each. Those of his executives would attest to his tenacity, ruggedness and commitment to work. In fact, his branch executives had always described him as an early bird, who would always arrive the office first in the morning and close late making sure that before he lives his table has been tidied up for the next day. Indeed, he was and remains the toast of the union’s Dockworkers’ and by extension the entire Union workers of all the four branches of the union.
It’s no gainsaying that the Oyo born Prince has a very good listening ear in attending to people’s plight who throng his office from time to time. His kind heart and benevolence cannot be underestimated. The ATIBA 1 as he is usually referred to by his numerous admirers has never compromised justice for anything less, rather for the service of humanity in justice, fairness and honesty.
Some of this attributes of his as enumerated had summed up for him emerging the President -General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in March 2018 as successor to Comrade Anthony Emmanuel Nted aka “Son of God, who also rose to the rank of Vice President of the Labour Congress before his disengagement. History will of course record Comrade Adeyanju as a man with the heart of gold and dynamism in delivering quality leadership at all times. He has carefully taken the union from the doldrum of “war -war” ideology to a new era of “win-win” philosophy following the steps of his predecessors.
No doubt, today, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju is leading from the front of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria ditto the Nigerian Labour Congress as the newest Deputy President. In this capacity, the mercurial Comrade will no doubt bring his vast experiences of leadership to the fore of the congress complementing that of the congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who is coming from the Electricity Union. It’s said that the golden fish has no hiding place, so also, a good product needs no marketing as the people who loves good leadership will always go for the people with pragmatic leadership traits; hence, Adeyanju’s choice and nomination from the Maritime Workers Union for the position of Deputy President was deemed fit and came unopposed.
His election, however, didn’t come as a surprise to the congress because the generality of the workers from all the affiliate unions knew that God has already designated him for that position as emerged. The indefatigable unionist is successfully married with children!
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