21 Vessels Stranded At Onne Port As NPA Suspends Operations

There is apprehension at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) in Onne Port as 21 support boats belonging to International Oil Companies (IOC) are now stranded at berth following the suspension of activities of the IOC by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)
Investigations by DAILY TREND revealed that the FOT is operated by INTELS.

NPA sanction was coming over refusal of the International Oil Companies (IOC) to pay maritime workers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) outstanding stevedoring entitlements which has running into billions of Naira

According to the President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, about 6% of the IOC have so far complied with the ultimatum issued to them on payment of the labour.

Sources at the Onne terminal confirmed to our correspondent that already, the NPA sanction has for the past three days affected the IOC’S operations at the FOT quayside.

NPA provides service and clearances for all service boat operations calling at all IOCs platforms and terminals, hence, some essential services like clearance to service boats visiting IOCs platforms have been put on hold pending the outcome of a larger stakeholders’ meeting comprising of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), NPA, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and others.

According to the daily shipping position document provided by NPA, 21 service boats are already waiting at the FOT.

These include; A70, TUG DANAGOGO II, TUG IBUBELE 1, BARGE ABITOI 1, PRINCE JOB I, LIQUIGAN, TIDE, DOVA, TMC PHOENIX, BOURBON EXPLORE 513, ANAIAH AMBROSIUS TIDE, ABBA, GUARDIAN 2, BOURBON HESTIA, TOPAZ SOPHIE, TERRY TIDE.

PHILLIPA SIKA 2, SIKA 4, LIAM JMC CALL, SUFFER 3601, MASUD DEFENDER.

Confirming this development to DAILY TREND yesterday, President General MWUN Comrade Adewale Adeyanju in an exclusive interview session said the IOCs cannot receive on their platforms because they have been shut down by NPA.When he was asked if the dockworkers had resumed another round of strike action, he corrected that “It is NPA versus the stubborn IOC’s who have failed to comply with the ultimatum given to them by NPA as a result of the strike action we had the last time”

“I think there is light at the end of the tunnel, we are waiting for the meeting to be convened by the Ministry of Transportation, the last time during the striking period, I was called, they pleaded with us to suspend the strike action and that they are on top of it. This meeting is going to be for all stakeholders involved, the IOC, the terminal operators, the NIMASA, the Shippers Council and the NPA who happens to be the principal stevedore in charge of awarding the contract, so we are waiting for them”

“The NPA is working underground, there was an ultimatum they issued to the IOC who are not ready to comply with the directives coming from the NPA”

“I learnt that some of the IOC have started complying while some are still trying to be funny, you know that in Nigeria if you don’t use good weapon to the hardened ones, they will not respond. I learnt that about 6% of them have started complying, but I may not know everything until that meeting is held where the labor and others are going to be part of the meeting” he said