Why Eastern Ports Are Underutilised: INTELS

Amid concerns that most port situated outside Lagos are not well-patronised, a foremost player in  the eastern operational flank of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); INTELS has given as insight into why ports in Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar are underutilized.

Amid concerns that most port situated outside Lagos are not well-patronised, a foremost player in  the eastern operational flank of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); INTELS has given as insight into why ports in Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar are underutilized.
Receiving members of the House of Representatives committee on marine transport in Onne, Rivers state last week, INTELS in a   detailed memorandum submitted to the committee stated that  non-enforcement of no midstream discharge  as well as  flagrant diversion of import and  export cargoes to private jetties are hampering operations at these ports  
The company informed the members who were led by the Chairman, Hon. IfeanyiUgwuanyi that other factors include: indiscriminate discharge of oil and gas related cargo at non-designated ports, dredging of Delta Port Warri and CalabarpPort entrance channels to allow bigger vessels to call”.
According to the logistics giant, government should also endeavor to create enabling condition for companies who had left the region during the period of insecurity to return, and also fence off of Delta Port in Warri old terminal’ A’ to prevent the boundary community trespassing.
The company also pointed out that, the concessionaires and private investors in the eastern port have expended huge resources to upgrade the partly abandoned conventional ports to specialized facilities to service the oil and gas operations in the country.
“The prevailing law requires that all import and exports cargoes, materials and equipment compulsorily transit the NPA Ports for customs inspection and  payment of statutory fees before any cargoes can be taken out of the ports, therefore it is only proper that operators are compelled to do so”, it stressed.
Calling on the government to enforce the ban on midstream discharge, the company further said  that  the loss of huge revenue to the Federal Government by the activities of the unscrupulous agents or agency to compromise the law through discharging or loading of import cargoes offshore, midstream or private jetties cannot be over emphasized .
It will be recalled that PresidentGoodluck Jonathan had while commissioning previouly executed projects at the strategic Oil & Gas Free Zone,Onne Port ordered thatall cargoes imported into the country must be discharged only at designated Nigerian ports and also reiterated that the ban on midstream discharge and private jetties receiving ocean vessels directly was still in force.
Responding, chairman of the committee noted that the lower chamber is worried about the plight of ports in the eastern axis, hence the mandate to the committee to undertake an on–the-spot assessmentand report back to the House. He promised that no stone will be left unturned to stop unwholesome activity that will disadvantage all genuine investors in the country.
He also commended Intels efforts in transforming the Oil and Gas Free Zone Onne Port, and other ports from an abandoned project in the 1980s to a model in the present day, as well as the uncommon support to the success of the local content development.