The Shipping Trade Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria ( STPAON) says the current operations and terminal services at Nigerian ports do not sustain business harmony in the maritime sector.
The Association made this known in a communique it delivered to newsmen.
It noted the operational deficiencies of NPA terminal operators and NSC, particularly in the area of indiscriminate fees without issuance of receipts adding that the association would embark on strike if solutions were not provided.
The statement reads:
Sequel to the meeting held on the 6/12/2021 being Monday. The association delibrated on numerous issues and challenges araising in respect to port operations: port and terminal services and how best to sustain business harmony in the maritime sector and Nigerian economy at large.
premised upon this back ground, the association resolved to protest strongly for reasons of injustice and operatiinal deficiencies of NPA, terminal operators and NSC. Therfore, the association agreed to down tools due to the following reasons:
- Shipping agents can no longer pay 60,000 naira pilot’s transport fare to Bonny anchorage or boat hire for pilots to go to work.
- Agents can no longer pay unreceipted 100,000 naira to mouring men for shifting of vessel in port.
- Agents can no longer pay 550,000 – 600,000 naira to Bonny pilots to bring vessels from fair- way bouy to Bonny anchorage.
- Our members can not continue to pay fire- fighting tugs charges to individual accounts called third party service providers; as practiced currently. Millions of naira going into private hands.
- STPAON requires letter of indemnity from this existing third party service providers for towage operations ( for using ricketty or sub-standard pushers called tug boats for berthing and sailing of vessels in port).
- STPAON kick against faulty and unprofessional issuance of marine notices to mariners for public use. These marine notices were developed for selfish purposes to warrant corruption on the part of the authors and department responsible to enforce such notices.This made pilots to demand for 500,000 naira as over-lenght and over draft for tanker vessels. While other cargo ships were subjected to negotiatiations on amount to be paid to pilots.
- STPAON frawned at the current SOP issued by NPA. It is the worst we ever seen and very unproductive. This is likenes to a case of Landlord ceeding his rights and previllegies to his tenants and asked that legitimacy be jettisoned. STPAON drew the attention of NPA management to this perilous decision but still waiting for management’s action till date. It will interest you to know that STPAON wrote series of letters to NPA and NSC on the following:
i. PTOL’s refusal to honour the directives of NSC and NPA board of directors on tariff reversal to status-quo. pending when the new approval will be given through” due process”.
ii. Refusal of PTOL terminal to refund all wharfage charged wrongly and collected by terminal (paid by agents and port users).
iii. PTOL must stop the current blanket charges (all inclusive charges by the terminal) for services rendered and services not provided by terminal in the cause of port operations.
iv. PTOL must also stop the current practice of back-yard/ hidden charges and their new invention called ” priority berthing fees” this directive emanated from a standing instructions from ptol management to their account department ( that agents must come and negotiate and pay for priority berthing of vessels before granting berth to such agent and their principals).
v. PTol and BUA terminals should be prevailed upon to develop and upgrade theirquay apron and cargo hoding bay in the port.
vi. Authorities concerned must prevail upon BUA terminal to rebuild the collapsed berth number 7 & 8 .Bua should invest in the port and terminal same way they are doing to their factories.
Based on these concerns, STPAON had demanded for an urgent action to resolve or profer solutions to these challenges enumerated above. However, failure of NPA, NSC and responsible agencies of government to address these challenges; the Association decided to withdraw services and down tools based on faulure and inconsistencies in the processes and procedures of NPA and NSC in addressing PTOL terminal.
Above all, STPAON want to reiterate that the association shall emback upon ” necessary industrial actuon” that will be comensurate to the facts listed concerning port and terminal operations from 15/ 12/ 2021 untill solutions are provided by NPA, NSC and the Terminal operators in the Eastern ports.
Attention: NPA,NSC, NIMASA, CUSTOMS, Commissioner of police: Eastern port Command, DSS port command, ICPC, EFCC, other Agencies and the general public.
Babatunde Babalola
PRO STPAON
