Maritime workers have raised alarm over the impunity with some shipping companies and multinationals that specialize in anchoring and operating their vessels off-shore/midstream in naked contravention of the given conditions governing off-shore mid stream operations in the territorial water.?
This was contained in a press’s statement signed by the union President, Tony Nted, recently.
According to him, “All ships/vessels are expected to berth and operate at the conventional sea Ports at the quays.? In very exceptional cases, however, ships/vessels that cannot berth at the conventional ports for declared reasons, must obtain the direct approval from the Minister of Transport and pay all statutory dues.
Nted added that , “The? shipping companies must ensure the presence of the Customs, Navy, relevant Security Agencies at the point of operations to ensure that the State Security is not compromised, and the Stevedoring Companies notified for supply of the appropriate labour force”.
The union also lamented that some of the companies operate off-shore/midstream without the mandatory approval of the Minister of Transport.
Nted stressed that some of the companies also refused to pay the statutory Nigeria Port Authority charges and stevedoring bills, thereby giving rise to loss of employment to dockworkers and loss of revenue to the government.?
“It is disheartening to note that while hiding under the cover of challenging the enforcement of these approved conditions in the law courts against the NPA management, the companies have not relented in perpetuating these illegal acts that encourage revenue leakages, non-payment of NPA statutory port charges, NIMASA levies, under-declaration of tonnage, stevedoring bills and loss/denial of gainful employment to dockworkers, among others.?
“These companies for example, are Pacific Drilling, Noble Drilling, Trans Ocean Sedes Forex, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Red Transport and Megatop Nigeria and a host of others.?
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, investigate closely, the activities of these defiant Off-Shore operators and put a stop to illegal off-shore operations”, he said.