Reps To Investigate Activities Of Concessionaires At Nigerian Ports

Speaker, House of Representatives of Nigeria; Aminu Tambuwal
and MD, NPA; Malam Habib Abdullahi.       

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committees on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Public procurement, Commerce, Marine Transport and Customs to investigate activities of concessionaires at Nigerian ports.

This resolution emanated from a motion moved by Rep. Jerry Alagbaoso which was adopted without debate.

The concessioning of Nigerian seaports through the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), and handing over of the certificates of operations to the concessionaires was carried out in 2006.

He said the concessioning programme was aimed at ensuring facilitation of trade and greater efficiency in cargo handling and service delivery at the ports.

The Legislator expressed dismay over alleged incessant decay of infrastructure, poor service delivery and arbitrary charges in the name of demurrage.

He noted that the Nigeria Customs Service, saddled with the responsibility of collection of duties on imported goods, is faced with operational challenges caused by the concessionaires.

"The unsatisfactory performances of concessionaires at Nigerian seaports unnecessarily increase the cost of clearing goods," he said.

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