The alleged collusion of operators of oil service boats in cahoot with some senior members of staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority in shortchanging the NPA of accruing revenue to the tune of millions of dollars, in the Warri Pilotage District of Delta State, has been busted by a pilotage firm.
The pilotage company, Escravos Ship Pilot Nigeria Limited, was recently contracted by the Federal Government, to monitor the activities of oil service boats.
Maritime sources hinted that the pilotage operations cover the channels between Escravos Fairway Bouy to Bennett Island, Escravos to Forcados River, Agge Anchorage to Ramos River and adjoining waters and channels.
South-South PUNCH gathered that “ESPNL has been tasked by the Federal Government to conduct pilotage services on ships sailing out of Warri Pilotage District, and the services shall commence from Ramos/Agge Anchorage/ Forcados River/Forcados Shoreline and disembark from the ship to Escravos Fairway/Forcados Offshore station, not exceeding 10 nautical miles.”
While Intels is presently doing the monitoring, ESPNL is doing pilotage of oil service boats, South-South PUNCH further gathered.
Consequently, operators of all oil service boats within the operational areas are mandated to sign/endorse their ‘Master Declaration Chit,’ showing the particulars of the ship, the owners, agents, cargo type, as well as the gross registered tonnage, among others, in the course of any voyage undertaken “for NPA’s record and for the safety of the vessel.”
ESPNL Technical Director, Captain Charlie Tobi, however, told journalists in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday that a sting operation carried out on operators of oil service boats in the mandate area revealed that majority of them have not been presenting for signing/endorsement the mandatory documents, particularly “the Master Declaration Chit.”
Tobi disclosed that “investigations by ESPNL revealed that majority of the recalcitrant oil service boat operators have been colluding with unnamed NPA top officials, who, in effect, have been letting them off the hook on issuing them what is known in the local parlance as ‘off record,’ after receiving unspecified gratifications, thus diverting revenue due to the Federal Government to private pockets.”
He lamented, “This is one of the reasons why the Warri Port is poor. The bad eggs within the NPA have been sabotaging the good efforts of the Federal Government.”
Meanwhile, ESPNL has protested “this ugly development” to the Managing Director of the NPA, Koko Bello, urging him to wade in urgently and sanction any port official found to be incriminated in the nefarious activities.
A protest letter by the ESPNL, dated 20th December 2023, copies of which were made available to journalists partly reads, “We would like to bring forward to the management the above subject matter on Oil Service Boats/Tankers.
“They are referred to as off-record vessels. These practices were carried out by the previous harbourmasters and were stopped by the management for contracting Escravos Warri Pilotage District to Escravos Ship Pilot Nigeria Limited, Escravos.
“They are sabotaging management’s good efforts, and they are economic saboteurs. We cannot fold our arms and watch them continue these cruel habits.
“The management lacks funds to rebuild the Escravos Submerged Breakwaters, but this set of people are diverting the revenue that is supposed to come to the Nigerian Port Authority’s purse. The revenue generated from the Oil Service Boat is enough to rebuild the breakwaters.
“Harbourmaster is supposed to fight for the interest of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“We are appealing to the management to use its good offices to arrest this ugly act being carried out in this harbour”.
When contacted, a vessel owner simply identified as Alhaji, who is the owner of MV Whisky *9 Tug Boat, called for intensified sensitization among the oil service boat operators and other stakeholders, including maritime agents in Delta State.
Another vessel owner, Joseph Fuludo, owner of MV David Rhema, admitted that the contractors that took over from Intels for oil service boats pilotage had not seen master declaration for his vessels for four trips.
Urging the NPA to “step up efforts in its clearance operations to checkmate sharp practices in the system,” Fuludo stated that if a vessel is not cleared before going out, modalities ought to be put in place to cross-check at the signal stations along the route.
He averred, “Ordinarily, a vessel’s movement could be tracked from its point of departure en route its voyage till it berths at the jetty.
“It is not ship owners’ duty to do NPA’s job for them.”
