,.. As NPA Summons Stevedores.
By Ewrhujakpor Godfrey Bivbere
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is currently after some stevedoring firms operating in oil and gas facilities over none remittance of royalties due to the federal government through the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.
Harboursandport.com gathered that all firms presently operating stevedoring services in the facilities of the International Oil Companies, OOCs since they got the contract about 6 years.
Harboursandport gathered that these firm who collect between $1.2 to $1.5 million monthly, were obligated to remit 20 to 30 per cent of their earnings back to NPA but have never done so.
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A top source at the NPA told Harboursandport.com that the Authority not been able to enforce the law of remittance because of the high level individuals close to the corridors of power that are linked to the stevedoring firms.
Harboursandport.com gathered that following an anonymous pitition to the EFCC which triggered the investigation, NPA earlier this year, April, summoned the stevedoring firms to a meeting.
NPA manage in a letter to the stevedoring firms dated 19th March, 2025 with the title “Invitation To Maiden Monthly Stevedoring Operations Meeting On Onshore/Offshore Oil And Gas Facilities,” to a meeting first meeting years after the appointment of the stevedoring firms.
The letter with reference number HQ/ED/M&Q/OP/080, signed by the Executive Director, Marine & Operations, Olalekan Badmus addressed to the President of National Association of Stevedoring Operators, NASO, summoned all the firms to a meeting on the 15th of April, 2025.
T
he letter read in part, “
Pursuant to the provision of the contractual Agreement, the Authority invites all the appointed Stevedores to a Maiden Monthly Stevedoring operations meeting schedule as below.
“You are enjoyed to communicate this invitation to your members and to also inform them to bring along a copy each of the appointment letter and the contractual agreement for verification purposes.”
The letter also stated that the agenda was “Submission of Monthly operation reports from commencement to date;
Contract verification;
Operational Status; (Royalty, Service provision, Supply of Equipment);
Operational challenges and extra services.”
The NPA management at the meeting was also to brief the stevedores on the required template: operational status; royalty;
service provision; supply of equipment and
operational challenges.”
Similarly, the meeting also discuss
extra services; to commence preliminary discussion Standard Operating Procedure,
S.O.P and collection and discussion on various submissions with a view to harmonise them,” the letter concluded.
