A crusader and soldier of social change, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju hit the limelight during the federal government privatization’s programme in 2003, as one the of young Turks in the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), to be invited for briefing as part of the Nigeria Labour Movement delegates.
His voice rang out in informed protestations against seeming gaps contained in workers disengagement document, which he insisted must be adjusted to reflect adequate protection for those to be disengaged in line with the rules of engagement.
Currently the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Adeyanju has continued to remain on the firing line, constantly in battle with government alongside the NLC and operators of the maritime industry, demanding improved and adequate wage payment for workers, fighting for workers motivation, rights and benefits.
Charismatic, passionate and informed, Adeyanju has resisted every tendency to unjustly engage government for selfish motives, declaring “We have the unenviable task of holding government accountable for responsible workers wage and benefits even if they kill us.We will insist until Nigerian workers get the benefit of their sweat.
‘ Under my leadership, we will be just and guided, you don’t expect me to pull out my workers for protest at a time the economy is in dare straits but if we must do so it must for a jusitifiable course and in our national interest . but when we are talking about minimum wage, and that is something we can stand bold and continue to tell government that it must be done. It is called minimum wage, anything below that is slave wage and we will not accept it”, he says.
A leader with great sense of history and inclined to robust development strides, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju last year established what he called the MWUN Elders Committee Forum. The forum is composed of all past principal leaders of the Union and the current executives, with a view to meet occasionally to brainstorm, share ideas and vision, and take common decisions of how best to address certain issues in a manner that defines the Union as one family and one house.
Under his watch, the Union last year engaged the federal government on the deplorable condition of the Lagos ports access roads, for which it issued an ultimatum to pull out maritime workers, a step that forced the government to announce strategic measures to respond to the problem under an acceptable time frame.
His patriotic zeal landed him a recent appointment into the Board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). The appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari is a clear testimony of Adeyanju’s commitment to nation building, especially his undivided commitment to take the growth of the Nigerian maritime industry into the next level.
For his unpretentious crusade to put Nigerian maritime workers on the map of acceptable work culture, wage and benefits, and for his equally remarkable leadership and stewardship footsteps, COMRADE ADEWALE ADEYANJU is bestowed with the Prestigious Nigerian Maritime Industry Living Legends Award.