With minds set on decongesting Ports in Lagos by opening up Eastern Ports for business, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has perfected plans to acquire a set of new marine platforms that would aid safe shipping and efficient port services in Onne and Rivers Ports.
The marine platforms include pilot cutters, tug boats and ballistic patrol vessels that would be deployed for the patrolling of the nation’s waterways towards reducing piracy and sea robbery in Nigerian waters.
It was gathered that due to lack of functional tug boats, the NPA presently made an arrangement with third party contractor to bridge the gap by ensuring that ships are towed as required.
However, as it stands, the authority has also discovered that it is presently losing revenue by subletting towage services to third party contractors.
Speaking at the combined second and third quarter stakeholders’ meeting held in Port Harcourt last week, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the NPA has discovered the need for pilot cutters and additional tug boats in Onne and Rivers Ports.
According to her, the NPA is in the advanced stage of procurement for the acquisition of these platforms because the authority is indeed on the part of ensuring that the ports are competitive.
It is said that safety and security are very paramount to shipping vis-a-vis the port business; to that extent, Usman said the NPA is working with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Navy to secure the waterways.
“We are also procuring ballistic patrol vessels, which upon acquisition would be handed over to these agencies of government to aid patrol of our waters to enhance security of the channels and vessels at berths. This is of paramount importance to the Authority,” Usman said.
Stating that the NPA is aware that NIMASA is acquiring a new security architecture, Usman said the authority is excited to partner with them in this regard.
Meanwhile, Customs Licensed Agents that attended the meeting, raised concerns on problems of road congestion, which compels port users to lose man hours due to lack of transit parks for trucks. They urged the NPA to make provisions by assigning a park for trucks doing business in Onne Ports.
As a result, Usman called on the port manager to check if there is any land belonging to the NPA that could be leased as Transit Park. She however, stated that people need to be mindful of the fact that the NPA cannot designate a land that is not within their purview.
“If there is no available land, NPA will reach out to the Rivers State Government to know if it will be gracious enough to provide a trailer park that would house trailers at commercial charges,” she said.
On the poor state of the East-West Road that leads to Onne, she said, there is a history to the road and its construction, but that NPA would make the appropriate recommendation to see to it that it is rehabilitated.
“The road is not under NPA’s purview but we will get the Federal Ministry of Works and Rivers State Government to join in fast-tracking the full rehabilitation of that road in the same way the Tin-Can Island Port access road has been awarded for full reconstruction,” she assured.
Earlier in his presentation, Yinusa Ibrahim, Rivers’ Port manager, who stated that Rivers Port is operated by two major concessionaires including PTOL and BUA Ports and Terminal Ltd, both of which operates four berths each, said business activities have started to pick up at the Port.
In the first half of 2019, Rivers Port had 162 vessel calls with gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 2,616,728 and cargo throughput of 1,659,722.
“The NPA needs to build a new control tower to enable strong communication signal for vessels calling the Port. This is because at certain nautical miles, it is usually difficult for crews to communicate with the control tower,” Ibrahim said.
In terms of towage, he stated that the NPA has purchased enough tug boats that would soon be deployed to the ports where they are needed. “The NPA has pilot cutter that is being refurbished and would soon be deployed to the ports to enable operations.
“In terms of dredging, the NPA has collaboration with private sector company for dredging of Eastern Ports, but there is need to look into the issues of expansion of the channel to enable the coming of bigger vessels.
On the other hand, Onne received about 360 oceangoing vessels; 2,053 service boats, totaling 2,413 vessel calls in Onne Port in the first half of 2019.
Cargo throughput stood at 13,011,652 metric tonnes; container traffic stood at 108,128 which is equivalent to 145,588 TEUs.
Al-Hassan Ismailia, Onne Port manager said in terms of port efficiency, the average waiting time in the port was under five days; time on berth is 2.18 days; turnaround is 2.67 days; container dwell time for Intels, 16 days; West African Container Terminal (WACT), 19 days and Brawal seven days.
“In Onne, towage is provided by a private company, a third-party contractor. The port has five tug boats, two owned by the NPA and three by third-party. The management is also making efforts to procure pilot cutters,” he said.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
