… Says vessel did not drop single container
… It’s a trial voyage, says NPA
A chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Pius Ujubuonu few days ago expressed shock over the inability of the ship that berthed at Onne last weekend to drop a single container at the port.
Ujubuonu in a social media post on Wednesday alleged that the berthing of the largest container vessel ever to call at any Nigerian port was stage managed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for yet unknown reason.
In his words, “Yesterday, we were all happy that Onne is finally open for business and ships will sail direct to Onne without stopping in Lagos. Today, I was shocked to learn that the ship that berthed at Onne over the weekend did not drop a container. It was stage managed for whatever reasons the people who stage managed it had in mind.”
He queried, “Why did the ship berth at Onne without dropping any good? What is the reason behind this deceit? Is Onne open for business or not?”
While stating that he had other concerns, he however added that “I want us to understand that no country can ever develop with this level of deceit.”
“The leaders have taken the masses for granted for too long. This is unfair and unacceptable to decent human beings. The elites who are not politicians must team up with the masses and rescue Nigeria.
“I was so disappointed when I followed up with yesterday uplifting news only to find out that it was stage managed. May God help our people”, he summarized.
In his reaction, the General Manager Corporate and Strategic Communications, NPA, Engr. Jatto Adams explained that ports in Nigeria were rivers ports and were limited by draft adding that they could only berth certain categories of vessels.
According to him, “The vessel that came to Onne last Saturday, the first of its kind in terms of size was on a trial voyage showcasing that the Onne port can receive that size of vessel through our improved water channel.
“The exercise was to explore areas of possibilities and assure our importers that the Eastern port is capable and ready to receive the size of such ships. No import containers on board the ship meant for our ports, the ship only loaded some empty containers for export.”
He added that the significance of that call was that: Onne ports channel and berths can accommodate that size of vessel, the terminal operator was well equipped to receive such vessels and that Onne ports was fully opened for business, NPA had experienced pilots that could bring such size of vessel from fair way buoy to the berth, and improvement on security on the water ways arising from synergy between NPA, Navy, NIMASA and marine police.
“This achievement is traceable to intentional commitment and landmark reforms that the present management has instituted towards ensuring that all ports in Nigeria become optimally functional.
“So it was not a stage managed exercise rather it was to showcase the readiness of the port to receive larger vessels”, he further explained.
Photo: ANLCA Chieftain, Mr. Pius Ujubuonu.
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