By Francis Sadhere
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has re-iterated its call for the dredging of Delta Ports especially the Escravos estuary leading to the Warri port to allow bigger vessels to berth.
This call was made in a communiqué issued at the end of one day enlightenment seminar on the Role of Nigerian Shippers’ Council as Ports Economic Regulator organized by NSC South-South Coordinating Zone, Warri Africa Office.
The chairman of the occasion Mr. Austin Egbegbadia (JP) and Mr. J. A. Sarumi Secretary resolved that the dredging of the Delta Ports which included Warri, Sapele Koko and Burutu ports was quite necessary to boost shipping and maritime activities in the area.
They noted that the Federal Government had earlier announced the dredging of the Lower Niger leading to the Warri River with the hope that more vessels will berth at the ports but up till now, 6 years after, the dredging has not been carried out and vessels are not coming as expected thereby keeping the ports facilities underutilized and the maritime industry in the area very low.
According to them; “The Federal Government should address the problem of draught limitation in Warri Port to ensure that the channels are dredged to a sufficient depth to allow the passage of Ocean vessels, while NSC would ensure that the services rendered are consistent and in line with international best practices”
They disclosed that NSC as a regulator would use its position to always protect the Users of port services from the abuse of monopoly or dominant positions of the private ports service providers, adding that NSC would establish the operational rules and regulations to guide the conducts of businesses at the ports and ensure that those rules are strictly complied with, without compromise.
They stressed that all complaints relating to port services are treated with the seriousness it deserved and enforcement officers are stationed in all the Nigerian seaports.
“The NSC shall conduct an in-depth investigation with a view to address the quality of service delivered and high charges that characterized the operations of the service providers at the ports.
The Nigerian Shippers Council will in collaboration with other maritime agencies hold a stakeholders sensitization seminar with community youths in Warri Ports to facilitate an uninterrupted ports services operations”.
The NSC expressed hope that the dredging of the Delta Ports would improve the economy of the areas with the coming of bigger vessels to the Delta Ports.
The seminar which was attended by a total of 150 participants drawn from both the Public and Private sectors was chaired by Mr. Austin Egbegbadia (JP), President Delta Shippers’ Association, while the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Transport, Delta State, Mr. Ben Igbakpa represented by his Special Assistant, Honourable David Igho Oboturi, delivered a key note address while Goodwill messages were received from Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) among other agencies
