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Review of Port Concession: NPA Passes Vote of Confidence on Terminal Operators

 

Even as report of the review of the port concession agreement with terminal operators have continued to linger, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello-Koko has passed a vote of confidence on terminal operators, saying that NPA haven’t found any infringement by any of the Terminal Operators to warrant the withdrawal of their Licenses.

Bello-Koko in an exclusive interview with Shipping World gave the terminal operators a clean bill of health.

According to him “The concession agreement has rules of engagement, there are clauses where we are empowered to withdraw licenses, but you have to follow due process. So far we haven’t found any infringement by any of the Terminal Operators to warrant the withdrawal of such Licenses”

Mr Bello Koko’s vote of confidence is coming amid concerns by the Minister of Transportation , Engr Muazu Sambo, that the Concession agreement entered into between the NPA and Terminal Operators over a decade ago,may have outlived its usefulness.

Also, Engr Muazu had directed that the Nigerian Shippers Council be carried along in the review process for the renewal of the agreement since the Federal Government has appointed her the Ports Economic Regulator.

Bello Koko explained that the NPA was on top of the situation and that the delay may have been occasioned by its desire to follow due process.

Bello-Koko revealed that the modalities for the review were on course and that a critical evaluation of the terms of the agreement has been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission,ICRC.

On the proliferation of Seaports, Bello-Koko frowned at the idea of states scrambling to construct deep Seaports. He said: ” Even though Nigeria requires no fewer than between 4 to 5 deep Seaports, we would not go the route of State governments who for political reasons want to build an airport in each State”.

He said the NPA was currently working on a 25 years Pors Development Plan that would define and regulate the nation’s port domain.

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