The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • 2019 elections: Customs to deploy scanners in ports

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has approved the deployment of scanners in the nation’s seaports to check the influx of dangerous items into the country ahead of the 2019 general elections, it was learnt.

    Speaking with The Nation, its Area Controller, Tin Can Command Mr Musa Baba Abdullahi said the Service has concluded arrangement to deploy the scanners in boosting 100 per cent cargo clearance at ports.

    He assured that the scanners would check importation of dangerous cargoes. “With regards to the 2019 elections, the Service is trying to commission the scanners. Some of them are not there now, but the Service is working seriously to ensure that the scanners are put in place.

    “As soon as the scanners are put in place, we are sure of 100 per cent cargo examination through the scanners. At least,  we would be sure of what is coming, compared to the physical examination that is there now,  sometimes, human element can come in, sometimes you might forget certain things, which might end up being a serious issue,”he said.

    On the involvement of foreigners in cargo clearance at the seaports, Musa said foreigners had taken over the clearing and forwarding jobs because most Nigerians are bad managers.

    He called for a law that would  spell it out that certain jobs must be reserved for Nigerians, especially areas where we have the capacity and comparative advantage.

    “Our people prefer foreigners than Nigerians. We need to ask ourselves why it is so; many of the bike riders are from Chad, Niger etc, while those doing tilling of houses are from Togo and Cotonou.

    “Nigerians have to change our attitude to work. Sincerely, we are not good managers. You can carry out an independent analysis of certain sectors; take note of the businesses, we work more, if we are controlled by foreigners.

    “For instance, if you give Nigerian companies, they run it aground. But if you bring in an expatriate from outside, they work hard for every seven days, you would find a Nigerian being engaged unofficially in some family issues and extended family issues. But for the expatriates, who is in the country for the job,  he would forget about those mundane things and focus on his job for 30 days,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Seme border, Mohammed Aliyu has reclaimed the command’s land encroached upon by some individuals.

    Findings revealed that the command is ensuring that illegal structures are demolished and those with approval will update their status by routing their request to the Comptroller-General of Customs through the Customs Area Controller.

  • ‘Make Kaduna Dry Port attractive’

    Importers and clearing agents have urged the Kaduna Dry Port promoters to make it attractive for business.

    An importer, Alhaji Yahya Ibrahim, told The Nation that such  move would enhance economic activities in the area.

    He praised the Federal Government for providing an enabling environment for the export of agricultural products and made-in-Nigeria goods, saying he would be happy if the state and the Federal Government could provide loans for importers, industrialists and farmers, to boost the purchase of farming equipment and increase revenue generation.

    He said: “Before President Muhammadu Buhari-led government inaugurated the Kaduna Dry Port early this year, we depended largely on import and export of some of our goods.

    “After its commissioning, we expect the dry port to fast-track the importation and exportation of goods. And that is why we are calling on the operators of the facility to introduce incentives that will make it attractive to importers, exporters and clearing agents.

    A clearing agent, Mr Segun Ogunsanu said there are over 25 shippers’ associations in the country which the promoters of the Kaduna dry port need to partner with to boost activities at the port.

    “It is pertinent to note that from our investigations, there are over 25 shippers associations  in the country and the operators of the dry port need to live up to the expectation to meet the expectations of the Nigerian Shippers Council, the Federal Government and Nigerians.

    He said keeping the port empty after its commissioning is not appropriate for the health of the economy.

    He urged the operators not to pursue a path that would not be in consonance with the objectives of the Federal Government and the NSC, urging the operators to be above board.

    He said the maritime industry remains a key gateway to the nation’s industrial growth and the pivot on which even the oil and gas industry stands. At the centre of operation in the industry, are the shippers whose cargoes are the major attraction to both the shipping companies and the terminal operators. That is why the promoters and the operators of the Kaduna dry port need to partner them.

    Another importer, Chief Samson Adegoroye, said the shippers’ associations were expected to play critical roles that would enhance the economic activities at the dry  port  and seek their support in boosting efficiency at the port.

    Adegoroye said the dry port would assist the NSC its drive to restoring sanity and regulating the charges being imposed by the terminal operators at the seaports.

  • Why Cabotage Act can’t be implemented, by lawyers

    Maritime lawyers and stakeholders have explained why the Cabotage Law cannot be implemented.

    They said the Federal Govern-ment’s failure to assist shipowners, banks’refusal to support indige-nous shipowners to buy sufficient vessels and the conspiracy by some importers and clearing agents to deceive security agents at the ports were affecting the execution.

    At a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, a maritime lawyer, Mr Mohammed Usman, described the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003 as a protectionist law to create exclusive areas in the coastal trade for indigenous operators. Indigenous ship owners, he  said, had complained that the waiver clause has made the implementation of the law difficult.

    Mohammed urged the  government to support the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in executing its mandate.

    “This is the time for the Federal Government to give the necessary support to NIMASA and see to the implementation of the Cabotage Act.

    “There is no doubt that some powerful individuals in government are trying to frustrate the implementation of the law.

    “Nigerians are waiting to see the government that will see to the quick implementation of the law. Any government that is ready to enforce the law would make it compulsory that every ship that calls at our port should first declare its arrival to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeran Customs Service (NSC), NIMASA and the Navy. By doing so, it would become easy to implement the law,” he said.

    Usman said the implementation should not be a problem. “NIMASA does not even need to get to the jetty to arrest a vessel. It can ask a vessel to tell her its point of loading. So, if it is offshore Lagos or offshore Cotonou, the agency can then verify if it is on the list of Cabotage registered vessels. Therefore, implementation should not be a major issue. From all indications, there must be a kind of conspiracy between the operators and people that grant approval for foreign vessels to come into the country,” he said.

    He said the shipowners must be supported by the government and banks to buy sufficient vessels to carry out coastal trade.

    ”Much as it is estimated that marine transportation offshore alone has a potential annual revenue profit of millions of naira as against coastal trade in commodity and products, it is believed that harnessing the opportunities of effective implementation of Cabotage will provide a springboard for indigenous operators to acquire requisite capacity and expertise to launch themselves into global shipping.

    “The target is for Nigerian carriers to have a share of about $4 billion per annum gross value of freight in and out of Nigeria. Only 20 per cent share of the market will stimulate the local economy to the tune of about $600 million gross per annum,” Usman said.

    Another operator, Olive Venture Chairman, Mr Samson Ojikutu, said the Cabotage regime covers ship building, ship ownership, manning and registration. Unlike the Cabotage Law in other maritime nations, he said Nigeria’s Cabotage law provides for waivers.

    Ojikutu said the government should stir maritime development in the country by using its agencies to coordinate and regulate the industry.

    Felix Ogomoju also agreed with them.

  • ‘Smuggling killing rice, poultry policies’

    Nigeria’s bid to be self-sufficient in rice and poultry production is being threatened by smugglers, investigation has revealed.

    Lagos and Ogun states are flooded with smuggled rice and frozen poultry products.

    From Seme border to Owode Idi Iroko, Alapoti, Atan and Sango Ota, in Ogun State, smugglers are using bush paths to ferry large quantities of rice and poultry products into the markets.

    The smugglers, Idi Iroko border sources said, are cashing-in on the high price of rice and chicken,  which are mostly consumed in many homes to bring them in.

    Rice and frozen poultry products’ business, investigation revealed, is booming because their importation is banned.

    A chicken farmer in Ogun State, Hammed Adegbesan, said about 1.2 million metric tonnes of poultry products were smuggled into the country yearly from Brazil and Asia.

    “Although the Federal Government banned the importation of poultry products, the policy has not been effective and made no real impact on actual foreign imports.

    ‘’As a result, those that have invested in the business have continued to suffer huge losses owing to their inability to sell off their stocks, which experts said, was a major setback to the Federal Government’s diversification drive through the agricultural sector,’’ he added.

    A visit to the boundary areas of Lagos and Ogun revealed that security operatives aid and abet the smuggling of these products.

    A frozen chicken trader, who asked not be named, alleged that their suppliers are Customs, police and military personnel.

    “Those that are selling the chicken to us are uniform people. Based on the economic downturn, many Nigerians prefer buying the imported frozen poultry products than the locally produced ones because they are cheaper, that is why we keep on seeing the items in all major markets despite the ban,’’ he said.

    According to Global Poultry Site, Nigeria produced about 340,000 metric tonnes of poultry products last year, and it is expected to grow by five per cent yearly.

    “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been warning Nigerians against the consumption of imported poultry products, threatening to take action against smugglers, or dealers found with the banned products but the agency is yet to prosecute any trader found with the banned items.

    Imported poultry products, especially chicken and turkey, have been identified as agents in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and antibiotics resistance. Some of these health conditions include, hypertension, kidney disease and cancer.

    Investigation revealed that the smuggled poultry products are kept on motor cycles, passenger buses and specially-refurbished vehicles heading for Lagos and Sango area of Ogun State.

    The imported frozen poultry products trader at the popular Owode Market in Ado-Odo Ota area, who refused to give her name, narrated the reason they are dealing on imported frozen chicken from Cotonou.

    “I lost a lot of money when the vehicle bringing my rice to the town was impounded by Customs in December. The period was a very bad to me. But in February, my friend introduced me to the fish business and I decided to try it. My experience is that there is not much attention on fish like rice, and the profit we make on fish is higher than that of rice. The highest profit anybody can make on rice is between N100 and N150 per 50kg bag, while we make between N700 and N1000 on 20kg cartoon of frozen chicken,” she said.

    She said the demand for chicken   is so high that ‘business people’ continue to travel long distances from inland towns and risk being arrested to smuggle children and turkey in.

    Every Thursday and Friday, she said traders flock to Cotonou and other neighbouring countries to buy frozen poultry products and smuggle them in through the Gbaji and Ere river.

    Investigation at the paths leading to the border at Idi-Iroko are porous, necessiting  checks by Customs.

    Customs, investigation revealed, also needs to do a lot to track down of the poultry products and rice smugglers and stop their illicit business by embarking on effective border patrol as the smugglers are using various vehicles to bring the items to Sango and Alaba Ravi markets day and night

  • ‘Make Kaduna Dry Port attractive’

    Importers and clearing agents have urged the Kaduna Dry Port promoters to make it attractive for business.

    An importer, Alhaji Yahya Ibrahim, told The Nation that such  move would enhance economic activities in the area.

    He praised the Federal Government for providing an enabling environment for the export of agricultural products and made-in-Nigeria goods, saying he would be happy if the state and the Federal Government could provide loans for importers, industrialists and farmers, to boost the purchase of farming equipment and increase revenue generation.

    He said: “Before President Muhammadu Buhari-led government inaugurated the Kaduna Dry Port early this year, we depended largely on import and export of some of our goods.

    “After its commissioning, we expect the dry port to fast-track the importation and exportation of goods. And that is why we are calling on the operators of the facility to introduce incentives that will make it attractive to importers, exporters and clearing agents.

    A clearing agent, Mr Segun Ogunsanu said there are over 25 shippers’ associations in the country which the promoters of the Kaduna dry port need to partner with to boost activities at the port.

    “It is pertinent to note that from our investigations, there are over 25 shippers associations  in the country and the operators of the dry port need to live up to the expectation to meet the expectations of the Nigerian Shippers Council, the Federal Government and Nigerians.

    He said keeping the port empty after its commissioning is not appropriate for the health of the economy.

    He urged the operators not to pursue a path that would not be in consonance with the objectives of the Federal Government and the NSC, urging the operators to be above board.

    He said the maritime industry remains a key gateway to the nation’s industrial growth and the pivot on which even the oil and gas industry stands. At the centre of operation in the industry, are the shippers whose cargoes are the major attraction to both the shipping companies and the terminal operators. That is why the promoters and the operators of the Kaduna dry port need to partner them.

    Another importer, Chief Samson Adegoroye, said the shippers’ associations were expected to play critical roles that would enhance the economic activities at the dry  port  and seek their support in boosting efficiency at the port.

    Adegoroye said the dry port would assist the NSC its drive to restoring sanity and regulating the charges being imposed by the terminal operators at the seaports.

  • Why Cabotage Act can’t be implemented, by lawyers

    Maritime lawyers and stakeholders have explained why the Cabotage Law cannot be implemented.

    They said the Federal Govern-ment’s failure to assist shipowners,   banks’refusal to support indige-nous shipowners to buy sufficient vessels and the conspiracy by some importers and clearing agents to deceive security agents at the ports were affecting the execution.

    At a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, a maritime lawyer, Mr Mohammed Usman, described the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003 as a protectionist law to create exclusive areas in the coastal trade for indigenous operators. Indigenous ship owners, he  said, had complained that the waiver clause has made the implementation of the law difficult.

    Mohammed urged the  government to support the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in executing its mandate.

    “This is the time for the Federal Government to give the necessary support to NIMASA and see to the implementation of the Cabotage Act.

    “There is no doubt that some powerful individuals in government are trying to frustrate the implementation of the law.

    “Nigerians are waiting to see the government that will see to the quick implementation of the law. Any government that is ready to enforce the law would make it compulsory that every ship that calls at our port should first declare its arrival to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeran Customs Service (NSC), NIMASA and the Navy. By doing so, it would become easy to implement the law,” he said.

    Usman said the implementation should not be a problem. “NIMASA does not even need to get to the jetty to arrest a vessel. It can ask a vessel to tell her its point of loading. So, if it is offshore Lagos or offshore Cotonou, the agency can then verify if it is on the list of Cabotage registered vessels. Therefore, implementation should not be a major issue. From all indications, there must be a kind of conspiracy between the operators and people that grant approval for foreign vessels to come into the country,” he said.

    He said the shipowners must be supported by the government and banks to buy sufficient vessels to carry out coastal trade.

    ”Much as it is estimated that marine transportation offshore alone has a potential annual revenue profit of millions of naira as against coastal trade in commodity and products, it is believed that harnessing the opportunities of effective implementation of Cabotage will provide a springboard for indigenous operators to acquire requisite capacity and expertise to launch themselves into global shipping.

    “The target is for Nigerian carriers to have a share of about $4 billion per annum gross value of freight in and out of Nigeria. Only 20 per cent share of the market will stimulate the local economy to the tune of about $600 million gross per annum,” Usman said.

    Another operator, Olive Venture Chairman, Mr Samson Ojikutu, said the Cabotage regime covers ship building, ship ownership, manning and registration. Unlike the Cabotage Law in other maritime nations, he said Nigeria’s Cabotage law provides for waivers.

    Ojikutu said the government should stir maritime development in the country by using its agencies to coordinate and regulate the industry.

    Felix Ogomoju also agreed with them.

  • ‘Smuggling killing rice, poultry policies’

    Nigeria’s bid to be self-sufficient in rice and poultry production is being threatened by smugglers, investigation has revealed.

    Lagos and Ogun states are flooded with smuggled rice and frozen poultry products.

    From Seme border to Owode Idi Iroko, Alapoti, Atan and Sango Ota, in Ogun State, smugglers are using bush paths to ferry large quantities of rice and poultry products into the markets.

    The smugglers, Idi Iroko border sources said, are cashing-in on the high price of rice and chicken,  which are mostly consumed in many homes to bring them in.

    Rice and frozen poultry products’ business, investigation revealed, is booming because their importation is banned.

    A chicken farmer in Ogun State, Hammed Adegbesan, said about 1.2 million metric tonnes of poultry products were smuggled into the country yearly from Brazil and Asia.

    “Although the Federal Government banned the importation of poultry products, the policy has not been effective and made no real impact on actual foreign imports.

    ‘’As a result, those that have invested in the business have continued to suffer huge losses owing to their inability to sell off their stocks, which experts said, was a major setback to the Federal Government’s diversification drive through the agricultural sector,’’ he added.

    A visit to the boundary areas of Lagos and Ogun revealed that security operatives aid and abet the smuggling of these products.

    A frozen chicken trader, who asked not be named, alleged that their suppliers are Customs, police and military personnel.

    “Those that are selling the chicken to us are uniform people. Based on the economic downturn, many Nigerians prefer buying the imported frozen poultry products than the locally produced ones because they are cheaper, that is why we keep on seeing the items in all major markets despite the ban,’’ he said.

    According to Global Poultry Site, Nigeria produced about 340,000 metric tonnes of poultry products last year, and it is expected to grow by five per cent yearly.

    “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been warning Nigerians against the consumption of imported poultry products, threatening to take action against smugglers, or dealers found with the banned products but the agency is yet to prosecute any trader found with the banned items.

    Imported poultry products, especially chicken and turkey, have been identified as agents in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and antibiotics resistance. Some of these health conditions include, hypertension, kidney disease and cancer.

    Investigation revealed that the smuggled poultry products are kept on motor cycles, passenger buses and specially-refurbished vehicles heading for Lagos and Sango area of Ogun State.

    The imported frozen poultry products trader at the popular Owode Market in Ado-Odo Ota area, who refused to give her name, narrated the reason they are dealing on imported frozen chicken from Cotonou.

    “I lost a lot of money when the vehicle bringing my rice to the town was impounded by Customs in December. The period was a very bad to me. But in February, my friend introduced me to the fish business and I decided to try it. My experience is that there is not much attention on fish like rice, and the profit we make on fish is higher than that of rice. The highest profit anybody one can make on rice is between N100 and N150 per 50kg bag, while we make between N700 and N1000 on 20kg cartoon of frozen chicken,” she said.

    She said the demand for chicken   is so high that ‘business people’ continue to travel long distances from inland towns and risk being arrested to smuggle children and turkey in.

    Every Thursday and Friday, she said traders flock to Cotonou and other neighbouring countries to buy frozen poultry products and smuggle them in through the Gbaji and Ere river.

    Investigation at the paths leading to the border at Idi-Iroko are porous, necessiting  checks by Customs.

    Customs, investigation revealed, also needs to do a lot to track down of the poultry products and rice smugglers and stop their illicit business by embarking on effective border patrol as the smugglers are using various vehicles to bring the items to Sango and Alaba Ravi markets day and night

  • Nigeria loses N1b daily to foreign vessels

    Nigeria loses N1 billion daily to foreign vessels, ac-cording to official sources.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finsnce (FMoF), who craved anonymity, said there were many qualified Nigerians in shipping, but that they had no jobs. Using foreign vessels was not in the best interest of the nation because when the dependent country has a crisis, Nigeria may have challenges lifting its crude, he said.

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, said the management of the agency was determined to end foreign domination of the capital-intensive crude oil-lifting business by making indigenous shipowners participate in the highly-lucrative enterprise.

    Peterside, who spoke with The Nation at the weekend, said the involvement of indigenous shipowners in the trade would be in national interest.

    Their participation, he noted, will provide employment for many Nigerians, reduce crime, generate more revenue and ensure security at sea and around the ports.

    “We are doing everything possible to involve the indigenous shipowners in the crude oil lifting to provide jobs for Nigerians and put an end to foreign domination of the trade. Everybody in the country knows that it would be more profitable for a Nigerian ship to lift our crude and the Federal Ministry of Transportation and NIMASA can be trusted to deliver on that agenda,” Peterside said.

    He decried the monopoly in the sector, adding that it was affecting Nigerians.

    He urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) to engage qualified Nigerians in the lifting of hydrocarbons, and promised to assist in building indigenous operators’ capacity to participate more actively in ferrying oil and gas.

    He assured operators that the apex regulatory agency was ready to enforce its statutory responsibilities, especially in preserving and protecting the marine environment from the adverse impact of oil exploration and other commercial activities, warning that the NIMASA would no longer tolerate a situation where IOCs renege on the payment of levies due to it as enshrined in its enabling instruments.

    He said the maritime sector was the soul of the economy.

    “Apart from the fact that most of the oil and gas exploration, which is the major revenue earner of the country is done in the maritime environment, vessels are needed to transport these products from one point to the other making the maritime sector integral to the whole economic process,” he said.

    He expressed concern that NIMASA as a regulatory agency of government had been grossly misunderstood and assured stakeholders of the commitment of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to not only engender the development of local content in the maritime industry but also push for the review of the Cabotage Act to make it more beneficial to Nigerians.

    A member of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Mr Fola Badmus while commending NIMASA for its efforts, said at the last count, indigenous investments in the sector have created over 40,000 jobs across the hydrocarbon value chain.

    “We will gain about N1  billion  a day, if we use our own indigenous ships to lift crude oil. This is because the country carries more than two million barrels of crude a day at the rate of $2.50 per barrel,” he said, adding that the huge sum would have accrued to the country and created employment for at least 5,000 professionals in the sector.

    “The advantage is that indigenous ships will get their foods, water, tug boats, chandelling, engineers and rags from Nigerians,” he noted

  • Operators promote safety at ports

    TO celebrate the Global Safety Day, APM Terminals Apapa Limited has embarked on initiatives that will promote safety at Lagos ports

    The Global Safety Day is an annual international awareness-raising campaign to promote safe and secure working environment for workers.

    APM Terminal Apapa Managing Director Martin Jacob, who spoke with The Nation, said safety has been the company’s watchword over the years, assuring that the company will continue to focus on enhancing safety standards.

    “For APM Terminals, safety is the licence to operate and we have kept that as our watchword and we will continue in that focus. This year, we have decided to hold the safety day in conjunction with our other brands to portray our new theme, which is: “Stronger and Safer Together”. With that we can help each other support our safety journey going forward,”he said.

    He assured that his firm will continue to train and educate its workers,  the public and clients, on the need for safety, especially truck drivers because of their strategic role in the business.

    Maersk Nigeria Managing Director Gildas Tohouo also reiterated his company’s commitment to employees’ safety, noting that everyone across the shipping and logistics value chain has vital roles in safety matters.

    “We are all responsible for the safety of ourselves and our colleagues whether at sea, shore, Inland Container Depot (ICD) and terminals. We all depend on each other. For us at Maersk, constant care is one of our core values and making sure that our colleagues are safe,”he said.

    On his part, Damco Country Manager, Sesan Ibitoye, said safety is a critical part of his firm’s engagement.

    ”We don’t joke with safety. It is at the centre of our operations. If you do not tell people about it, then you do not make them think about it. We hold ourselves accountable to it and every member of our staff goes through training on safety to highlight the importance of this and ensure as individuals that we keep safe,” he said.

    Clearing agents, truck owners and importers, who spoke with The Nation, commended APM Terminals for its high-level of safety and security in its operations.

    Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) Chairman Remi Ogungbemi said he was happy with the steps taken by the promoters of the APM Terminal in Lagos.

    ”Since inception, APM Terminals has been at the vanguard of promoting safety, which has helped reduce the rate of accidents at the port,” he said.

  •  Remove black spot label on Warri Port, stakeholders urge IMO

    Delta Association of Cham-ber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA has urged the Federal Government to prevail on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to remove the black spot label placed on Warri Port.

    Its President, Mr Simon Asite, made the appeal in Warri, Delta State.

    He said the label connotes that  the port is unsafe for business during the heat of the unrest in the oil-rich city many years ago.

    The maritime operator said removal of the label would help to convince the global maritime operators that peace had indeed returned to the city.

    According to him, it will also have a multiplier effect on maritime activities when the Warri/Escravos Bar is eventually dredged.

    “Dredging the Warri/Escravos bar is one thing, but there is also a need to correct the erroneous impression that Warri Port is not safe for business.

    “The black spot label placed by the IMO has prevented Baco Liners (vessels that carry containers) from sailing into the port.

    “It is my appeal to the Federal Government to prevail on the IMO to remove this label.

    “When that is done, the entire global maritime industry will now see that Warri is peaceful and free for maritime activities,’’ Asite said.

    He alleged that the rumours of insecurity in Warri were a ploy by some persons to malign the oil-rich city.

    He said some persons benefited from both the Federal Government and oil companies in the city by negative information.

    “The Federal Government should ignore the negative rumours that Warri has security challenges.

    “Some people are benefiting from the wrong information. They are reaping so much from the Federal Government and oil companies.

    “For instance, the petroleum depots in Warri, Sapele, Oghara and Koko will not function if there are security challenges, yet they are functioning.

    “Furthermore, it is the same route that the oil and gas cargoes take to discharge their products,’’ he said.

    Asite commended the Federal Government for approving contract for dredging of the Warri/Escravos channels, saying that it would help to revive the moribund Delta Ports, and consequently boost employment,” hr said.