The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello has said the Council was the first to oppose the Oil and Gas monopoly in the port because the Oil and Gas cargo was not known to port concession agreement.
He said the Shippers Council will continue with its strong advocacy for fair play in the operations of the nation’s seaports, especially as it affects oil and gas operations.
He also called for openness and inclusion in the review and renegotiation of port concession agreement.
“We need fair playing field for everybody and that was why the Shippers’ Council was the first to oppose the so called Oil and Gas monopoly in some ports and we said that Oil and Gas cargo is not known to port concession agreement and that was why we called for an opening of this concession agreement”, he said.
“I am aware that concession agreement is being renegotiated, but it can never be a close thing. The concession agreement is for Nigerians, we have to participate in that otherwise, it will still be the one-sided thing we have seen. Where is the interest of cargo? Where is the interest of export? Nigerian ports are not configured for export. So, we have to operate an open society, we have to bring these things out, it is not going to be elitist thing alone”, he argued.
While speaking on the war risk surcharge that was slammed on Nigeria, Bello called for more research about piracy and incidences at sea or armed robbery, which he said, could not be the same as piracy,
“I know there is somebody in Lloyds who does nothing but to monitor coastlines in Nigeria about pirates and that is what will determine the war risk. Nigeria cargo owners are not consulted, the Nigerian authorities are not consulted, and we don’t know the premium”, he lamented.
“Well, these surcharges are supposed to be even temporary and they disappear with the situation, but we still have currency factor adjustment, we still have bunker adjustment as surcharges, whether the cost of bunker is up or down, it doesn’t matter to them”, he added.
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