Even though attempts to concession towage services of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) were thwarted and later suspended about two years ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, indications have emerged that there is a renewed moveto reverse the directive.
This is even as NPA workers under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Communication Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC) have charged the management of NPA to deploy the four new tug boats that were commissioned in Lagos last week to the eastern ports where it is needed most.
Speaking with some maritime journalists in his office yesterday, President of the SSACTAC Maritime; Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni alleged that the persons fighting for the NPA Towage contract have not given. He said they are still pressurising the union underground into agreeing with the move.
He noted that the only factor that is hindering the contract from being given out is, "the fear of President Muhammadu Buhari" who had cancelled the contract as it was already awarded out by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said that already, the towage contract for the Lagos area has been awarded to Messers Landfall and Depassa by former NPA boss, Chief Adebayo Sarumi when the ports were concessioned.
Adegbeyeni noted that towage services is supposed to be managed by NPA workers, because they have capable hands, he said that NPA have so far trained so many captains but they being adequately used.
He advised the Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman not to deploy any of the four new tug boats to Lagos where towage contract is already given to private hands, but rather, it should be deployed to Warri ports, Port Harcourt and Calabar Ports where NPA workers still find it difficult to berth vessels.
Speaking on the deplorable condition of activities at eastern ports, Comrade Adegbeyeni said there are no tug boats, pilot cutters and mooring boats for NPA workers to work with. He noted that all these are attempts to frustrate workers so that government can concession out their functions.
"The issue of these four new tug boats would have been a forgotten issue, it was ordered during Habib Abdullahi era, thank God for Buhari that came into power, already, President Jonathan had given out the towage services of NPA to some of his cronies at the eastern area, Lagos area was given to Sarumi and his cronies, the remaining functioning tug boats and mooring boats of NPA were handed over to them"
"But when Buhari won the elections, I personally went to meet him at Lobito House to hand over the documents to him on how the towage services were shared out without due process.
We found out that most of these companies were not registered, they don't have addresses, so the contract was stopped"
"However, the cabals have not rested on their oars, the person in charge at that time still met me severally to pressure us into agreeing with the move but I said no. it is like giving out our inheritance. But up till now, they are yet to soft pedal, they are still working underground, it is only the fear of Buhari that is hindering them" he said.
The NPA Senior Staff President alleged that some of the so-called expatriates currently managing the four new tug boats for NPA are labourers in their countries who have come to short-change Nigerians. He said that NPA captains have the required experience and should be allowed to take over the boats.
"I appreciate the tug boats because it is part of the instrument the NPA needs to generate revenue since 80percent of NPA has been concessioned out"
"The boats should be sent to the eastern ports. Warri has no tug boats and my people have been struggling there to berth vessels. The same situation is prevalent in Port Harcourt, Calabar"
"Whether the activity at Warri ports is low or not, there should be standby tug boats. You cannot say because the traffic is low, then the facility that supposed to be at the port is not there"
"Also at the eastern port, there are no pilot cutters and mooring boats, the pilot cutters is like a small boat that would take the pilots to the high seas"
"But what the port managers do is to hire speed boats. Now when vessels berth, the rope is being thrown from the key apron and this is not supposed to be so. All infrastructures and facilities should be put in place"
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