Importers under the aegis of the Nigerian Importers Integrity Association (NIIA) has called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to halt the activities of unregulated private jetties and oil service facilities that have converted their facilities to container terminals.
Godwin Onyekazi, the president of the association, said that some private jetties operating on the Kirikiri channel and oil service facilities now engage in handling containers.
“Hundreds of empty containers are loaded from unlicensed jetties on the Kirikiri channel onto big barges where they are discharged in neighbouring countries. It is not clear who licensed these barge operators and the jetties.”
“We do not know if these barges and jetties are registered with all relevant authorities, and if they are paying the statutory dues to NPA and all other governmental agencies,” Onyekazi said.
He said while waiting for the authorities to address these concerns, it is clear that the operators are in breach of existing regulations.
“Only port operators, concessioned by the Federal Government through NPA can engage in container handling operations. Loading of empties from any other facility is illegal and should be investigated.
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“The jetties in question are now illegally operating as container terminals and they load empty containers on barges and sail straight out of Nigeria to the ports of neighbouring countries, especially to Cotonou and Lome ports,” he said.
According to Onyekazi, the trend is dangerous, as it poses serious economic and security implications for Nigeria that is already volatile.
“Unscrupulous persons try to beat the various economic and security checks put in place at the main ports where all the security agencies are present. Can you then imagine what will be happening in jetties that do not have strong regulatory and security mechanisms? This not to talk of the safety aspect, which is totally neglected,” he said.
Onyekazi, who said that the terminals have been handling empty containers for various shipping lines, noted that their operations may evolve into handling laden containers if their activities remain unchecked by NPA and other government agencies.
