Southern Star Shipping, Flour Mills, Apapa Bulk Terminal Owes 305 Seafarers deducted
salaries which have dragged on for Over half a Century. The Programme Director of the Bureau of African Labour, Human and Democratic Rights
(BALHADER) Comrade Uchenna Uzoije accused the moribund Southern Star Shipping and its
successor Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited and their subsidiaries of
owing over 305 Nigerian Seamen deducted salaries which they have not refunded for over a
half century. He made the above statement during a press briefing titled: Over Half A Century Unlawful
Deduction of Salaries of 305 Seafarers By NAT Scheme of Greece”.
The briefing which
was held on the 29th of September 2025,at the Akporo Community Hall Ajegunle Apapa
Lagos had in attendance members of BALHADER, Over5000 Maritime Workers, Professional
Seafarers Association of Nigeria (PSAN) and concerned Nigerians.
Comrade Uchenna stated that the Bureau had written to the General Secretary of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Mr. Steven Cotton, intervention to recover unlawfully withheld pension contributions deducted from 305 Nigerian seamen by Southern
Star Shipping Company between 1977-1982 under Greece’s NAT scheme.
Although Southern Star Shipping is moribund but their direct corporate succession which is
Flour Mills of Nigeria they financed their establishment in September 1960 with £2.5 million bears the liability of the 305 Seafarers. Apapa Bulk Terminal operates berths 1-5 was
financed by Flour Mills Limited making them equally culpable. Therefore the numerous
denial by the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk terminal that their company has no business with the 305 Seafarers is totally a false statement aimed at misleading the general public.
Comrade Uchenna further stated that Southern Star Shipping was incorporated in 1947 by Mr. George Cumantaros, with current active status: 1370 Avenue of the Americas, New York. The current President is Mr. John Coumantaros (since 2009) who
succeeded his late father. And that in January 2025 Mr. John Coumantaros’ acquired
all minority shareholders of Flours Mills making him the controller of the company. That on the part of Apapa Bulk Terminal which operates Berths 1-5 of Lagos Port
Complex is 100% owned by Flour Mills Nigeria Limited. Also, that the post-August 1978,
Presidential Decree in Greece 913/1978 explicitly abolished coverage for third-
country nationals, making continued deductions legally unauthorized. The question begging for an answer is why have the owners of Southern Star Shipping, Flour Mills, Apapa Bulk terminal failed to remit the deducted wages in US dollars of these 305
Seafarers till date?
Comrade Uchenna added that so far a total number of 39 Seafarers have died and that 5 of
them are critically ill as at the time of this press briefing.
He wondered who Mr. John
Cumantaros and his management team sleeps at night knowing fully well that their actions have in no small measure brought untold hardship and untimely deaths to these 305
seafarers. That the ill treatment of 305 Seafarers are ongoing despite facts they are all
members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN). That the employers are
getting away because they are the ones who imposed union leaders upon the MWUN which
is a violation of convention 87.
However, Comrade Monday Young Jack who is a Patron of BALHADER stated that he worked with Southern Star Shipping for several years and that despite all appeals for them to
refund their deducted wages under the guise of pension by NAT scheme of Greece was
abortive as the management refused. He used this medium to plead to well meaning
Nigerians to intervene by appealing to the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Deposit
Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Mr. Thompson Oludare to have compassion on him about his salaries account and fixed deposit account with Heritage Bank that is taken over by NDIC.
That he visited the NDIC Lagos office a total of 32 times in 2024, comes today and comes
tomorrow. That BALHADER also wrote the former MD Mr. Bello Hassan which his office
promised to intervene up till the of writing nothing have been heard from them. That he served his fatherland for 54 years but wondered why he is being treated like nobody in his
fatherland.
Comrade James Anoyomoh clarifies the situation concerning whether they were full time employees of Southern Star Shipping or not. These were the contentious issues in the reply
letters of the Company Secretary of Apapa Bulk terminal.
Comrade James stated that they are all full-time staff which after their seamen work most of them works in other subsidiaries
owned by the Cumantaros Comrade Francis Agbogbo, a member of PSAN, commended the ITF for the steps taken so far at seeing that justice prevails for them.
He explained that the ITF recovered over $57
million in unpaid maritime wages in 2023 through its global network of 125+
inspectors across 100+ ports in 50+ countries, demonstrating concrete enforcement
capabilities applicable to pension recovery claims. He admonished his colleagues not
to lose hope that it shall end in praise.
In View of the subject above, the Labour coalition called for a speedy action
from the ITF and other international bodies so as to compel Flour Mills Limited,
Apapa Bulk Terminal and their subsidiaries to refund the deducted salaries of all the
305 seafarers.
