BUNU SETS TO EMERGE AS MWUN PRESIDENT GENERAL AFTER IGWEONU WITHDRAWS FROM RACE
Comrade Francis Bunu is likely to emerge as the next President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) after his sole contender, Uche Igweonu, reportedly withdrew from the race. This development was revealed by Comrade Tony Nted, the immediate past President General of the Union, during a courtesy visit to former presidents general of the Union in Lagos.
The visit, led by President General Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, aimed to seek blessings and support for Comrade Bunu ahead of the March 28 election. With Igweonu’s withdrawal, Comrade Francis Bunu appears to be the clear frontrunner for the position.
A delegation from the union, led by President General Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, met with former President General Comrade Onikolease Irabor and Chief Joshua Ogunleye, President of the defunct dockworkers union of Nigeria.
According to Comrade Tony Nted, former President General of MWUN, the union now has only one candidate for the President General position, as Comrade Ifeanyi Mazeli and Uche Igweonu have both withdrawn from the race. This development comes after the Dockworkers, Seafarers, and NPA branches of MWUN unanimously endorsed Comrade Francis Bunu as their preferred candidate for the President General position.
He said, ”We have just one candidate because I’ve called the other two people- president of NPA btanch, Comrade Ifeany Mazeli and I’ve talked to him. He is a very nice young man and he has surrendered. I have also spoken to Uche Igweonu and he said Ok. When I asked that I learnt he has retired he said he will be retiring this year so that means that the deal is done. So I told him I want him to step down and he agreed with me. I learnt that he held a press conference declaring his intention the other day but that is not an issue. Whether he steps down or not, we know that we have only one candidate for the position of President general. ”
Comrade Tony Nted, immediate past President General of the Union, prayed for God to grant Bunu wisdom to lead the Union successfully and heed advice from its leaders.
During a visit, Chief Joshua Ogunleye and Comrade Onikolease Irabor also threw their weight behind Bunu’s candidacy. Ogunleye urged other Union members to support Bunu, emphasizing the importance of unity within the Union. He advised Bunu to prioritize unity during his tenure.
Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, the President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), emphasized that the union’s visits to past leaders demonstrate respect and courtesy, keeping them informed about the upcoming election.
He said, MWUN is committed to rotating leadership positions to ensure fairness and equal representation among its four branches, which has already seen the NPA and Dockworkers branches hold the President General position.
Now, it’s the Seafarers branch’s turn, and they’ve nominated Francis Bunu as their candidate for the upcoming election.
He said, ” The purpose of our visit is to align with the direction that our leaders have already laid out in our constitution. Because you are part of the arrangement that we are about to start now. And that arrangement started from my tenure, where we have four branches and two of them have served in the position of president general and we have decided to pick one from the other two branches.
He said although other candidates have agreed to step down, the union’s constitution allows anyone to contest for the position.
Adeyanju assured that the union will not discriminate against any candidate and will prioritize stability and growth over crisis in the industry.
“We don’t ask anybody not to contest, so that there won’t be any crisis in the union. “But we are not going to make a mistake of projecting somebody that will turn the industry upside down. That era is gone, ” he said.
Adeyanju expressed confidence in Francis Bunu, describing him as “tested and trusted.” He assured that Bunu will not disappoint the union and its leaders.
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