Massive Job Loss Looms As NPA Sets to Delist Barge Operators

…Extends Concession Agreement of Five Terminal Operators by 6-Months

By DAPO OLAWUNI

There are is imminent massive job loss in the maritime industry as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has revealed plans to delist some barge operators over their failure to meet up with standards.

Managing Director of NPA, Muhammed Bello-Koko gave this revelation at a press parley in Lagos on Saturday.

According to him, the authority has equally extended the concession agreement of five terminal operators temporarily for the period of six months.

Speaking, he said “We froze licensing of the barges until we would review the current ones, we would delist those that we feel do not meet our requirements, those that meet our requirements, we would give them additional requirements to meet.

“It is not the number that matters, it is the quality, we have seen videos of containers falling off barges at berth, we have seen barges sinking also. So, it is not the number of barges that is important, it is the quality of the barges.

“We would create standards, ensure quality and start increasing the numbers with the same quality. I believe that shortly we would allow those that met our requirements to have licenses but we are not adding new ones” he said

Bello-Koko said there were five concession agreements that expired and each of them had different dates.

At the point of expiration, he said the then legal agreement says that terminal operators can apply and then NPA can just renew.

“But it was after the concession agreement that the ICRC Act came and the Act says there should be a new bid, a new tender and so on and so forth. So you can see that there is conflict.

“The minister then said, some of these terminals are in the worst state, so we requested their development plan. We had to go to the ICRC for certification and so on.
Right now, they have been given temporary extension of six months, the essence is to ensure that the right thing is done and we get value for money.

“NPA is not ready to throw away the old concessioners even though throwing it open would fetch more money for the authority.

“Rather NPA wants an agreement that is fair and would hold the terminal operators accountable.

“In the former agreement, before I as the MD of NPA go into any of the terminals, we have to give them two weeks notice, even if you are going for inspection purposes” he said