Red Sea councillor ‘threatened with dismissal’ for criticising ports policy

09/05/2018 09:34 PORT SUDAN

A Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of the Red Sea state reported that he was threatened with dismissal by the Speaker of the Council because of criticising the governor of the state for transfer of the cargo and unloading association into companies.

Port Sudan is paralysed as workers down tools last week (RD)

A Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of the Red Sea state reported that he was threatened with dismissal by the Speaker of the Council because of criticising the governor of the state for transfer of the Cargo Workers Association into companies.

Mohamed Din Tahir said that the Speaker of the Legislative Council threatened him in an open session in the presence of the deputy governor and a number of ministers.

He said that the speaker of the Legislative Council also threatened him to lift his immunity and bring him to trial.

He wondered about the law on which the Speaker of the Council based his ban from talking to media about citizens’ issues.

In an earlier press release, Tahir confirmed his intention to summon the governor before the Legislative Council on the crisis of cargo and unloading workers.

Strike

More than 20,000 cargo workers in Port Sudan carried out a comprehensive strike in all ports of Port Sudan for nine hours last week in protest against the state government establishing holding companies to replace the association of cargo and unloading workers.

Members of the Legislative Council of the Red Sea state confirmed their determination to summon the Governor of the state, Ali Hamid, to question him about establishing holding companies instead of the Cargo Workers Association.

On Tuesday livestock exporters welcomed the decision of the Ports Corporation to close the port of Hidob south of Suakin for the export of cattle and vegetables and re-export through the port of Suakin.

Abdallah Birki, one of the livestock exporters, told Radio Dabanga that the decision is correct. He explained that 70,000 head of livestock have been kept at quarry Suakin last week because of the transfer of livestock to the port of Hidob, 30 km from Suakin.

He said the port of Hidob is lacking veterinary and pasture quarries.

He pointed to the exporters suffering of high fees and cost of transport from Suakin to Hidob and the lack of a sufficient number of trucks.