NPA set to clear abandoned vessels in Eastern ports

Nigerian Ports Authority

The Board of Directors, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has decided to clear to safe anchorage abandoned vessels disrupting the operations of Integrated Oil and Gas Free Zone (Intels) in and other concessionaires in Eastern ports.

The Chairman of the Board, Mr Emmanuel Adesoye, disclosed this on completion of a facility tour of Onne Port by the Board members on Thursday.

The abandoned vessels obstructing the operations of Intel’s belong to a company whose operations had been taken over by Assets Management Company (AMCOM).

Adesoye said that the management of NPA would try to move all abandoned vessels in various terminals to safe anchorage to improve the operations of concessionaires and increase government revenue.

He suggested that Intel’s should dialogue with NPA and the owner of the abandoned vessels to see if there would be alternative ways of evacuating the abandoned vessels.

Adesoye said that NPA would also consult to seek ideas on how to go about it.

The Board chairman commended the efforts of Intel’s, being one of the indigenous companies in the oil and Gas Free Zone, adding that the company’s operations also provided job opportunities for many NIgerians.

Adesoye, however, promised that both the Board and the Management of NPA would do their best to enable indigenous investors in Oil and Gas Free Zone to sustain the business and generate more revenue for government.

He said that there should be opportunities for other operators who would like to be on the same level with Intels in order to make Nigerian ports more competitive to achieve the status of being the hub in the West and Central Africa.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Intel’s, Mr Adamu Abubakar, urged the Board members of NPA to assist the company to access all spaces allocated for its operations in Calabar port.

Abubakar suggested for dialogue among NPA,, Intels and ASCOM in order to quickly move abandoned vessels in its terminal in Calabar.

He urged the Board to look into the activities of some private jetty operators who were struggling for cargoes that belong to Intels.

“Intel’s pays six dollars per tonnage while other operators pay one dollar per tonnage.

“Intel’s paid 10.3 million dollars for entry fee for oil and gas cargoes, while other operators paid between 1.1 to 2 million dollars as entry fee to operate general cargoes.

“The jetty operators who paid entry fees for general cargoes are not struggling oil and gas cargos with Intel’s,” Abubakar said.

He said that in 1982, NPA invited the private sector to operate at the Federal Lighter Terminal and also awarded concession for FLT B and Federal Ocean Terminal A in Onne as well as Terminal B in Warri and Terminal A Calabar for 25 years, which were renewable.

Abubakar said that Intels Nigeria Ltd. had concession agreement from 2005 to 2031 on consolidated lease agreement in FLT B, Warri New Terminal, Warri Old Terminal and Calabar Port Terminal A.

He described Intels as an indigenous private company of 85 per cent shares and expatriate share of 15 per cent.

Abubakar said that Intel’s was fully committed to maximising in a sustainable manner, the use of indigenous human resources, materials, equipment and services in its operations without compromising the company’s value, quality, health, Safety of the environment.

He said there was an urgent need to rehabilitate the poor road conditions leading to Onne ports.

“The logistics and equipment infrastructure needs of the terminal concessioned to Intel’s require much higher investments and specialised skills, in contrast to other terminals.

“These were projected to yield higher returns to the concessionaire as well as the government.

“This informed the basis for fixing a higher throughput fee per tonne to be paid by concessionaires of terminals located in those ports under Intel’s at the time of concession.

“Other terminal owners pay much lower fee under the concession agreement.

“The fee for the terminals granted to Intel’s under Annexure was also higher compared to the much lower Commencement Fee paid by concessionaires in other terminals,’’ NAN quotes Abubakar as saying.