The Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) has lamented that 92 percent of Nigerian vessels divert to Cotonou and Lome Port in Benin Republic and Togo, respectively to carry out STS (Ship-to-Ship) transfer and lightrage operations.
Findings by Shipping Position Daily revealed that more than 200 vessels leave Nigeria to call at Lome Port in a month, a situation that cost the Federal Government $8,000,000 revenue monthly.
Speaking at an event organised by the Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (MENA) branch of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Lagos last week, Director General of NISA, Eng. Oliver Ogbuagu blamed the development on the wrong policies of the Federal Government.
He lamented that there are no STS transfer points on Nigerian waters and this was one of the reasons ‘mother vessels’ could not come into Nigeria with petroleum products, hence vessels in Nigeria had to travel to far away Cotonou and Lome to trans-load product from big vessels.
He however said the development is a clear violation of the Cabotage Act of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Shipping Position Daily recalls that NISA had accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of restricting Nigerian petroleum importers from accessing foreign exchange.
The association believes that this was largely responsible for Nigerian importers deciding to go to Cotonou and Lome.
Ogbuagu also bemoaned the high level of attacks and insecurity on Nigerian waters, a situation which he said has caused mother vessels to be avoiding Nigerian waters.
The NISA Director General also cautioned ship owners, urging them to be patriotic, speak with one voice and stop the practice.
He said: "The Nigerian shipowners themselves are a major problem in terms of afreightment, under Cabotage, no vessel should go to Cotonou or Lome to load, their going there is illegal. Also, the NIMASA Act says that if you do that, the vessel would be impounded, forfeited and the person would go to prison. If we refuse to go to Cotonou, these people would stop abusing international trade"
"When you go to load in Lome, from the mother level they issue Bill of Laden from a ship, meanwhile it is wrong to issue bill of laden from a ship; you issue bill of laden from a loading port, the ship is not a loading port”
"But then, why are we not having STS zones here? The NPA did it and the Navy has a copy, but why are we not using it? It is because nobody is providing security for vessels that are there so that the miscreants that are attacking them would stop"
"We are the people encouraging Lome and Cotonou to thrive because if we stop going there they would be forced out; 92% of cargoes in Cotonou port are destined for Nigeria" he said.
Also speaking on bunkering on Nigerian waters, Ogbuagu said there is nothing like the word 'illegal bunkering'. According to him, even the Nigerian Navy which goes ahead to arrest vessels on Nigerian waters bunkers their ships on the waters.
"The navy also uses bunkers to run their ships, how do they get it? Does it mean that they also illegally bunker their ships? Lack of knowledge in the maritime sector is causing us lot of problems and the regulatory agencies are not just so keen" he said.
However, speaking at the same event, Managing Director of Indo Marine Nigeria Limited, Engr. E. Ijioma argued that bunkerers usually have licenses to operate on the waters. He said a situation whereby one fails to do so is a clear violation of the law.
Engr. Ijioma said that bunkering is a legitimate business, but it could be abused.
"Bunkerers have licenses to do their work and they should be allowed to do their work. But when people begin to bunker vessels without licenses or training to do so, they would be subjecting assets to possible danger and they also steal", he said.
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