FG Absolves NPA Of Allegation Of Revenue Leakage

...As New Pilotage Board Meets In Lagos

 The Federal Government may have dropped its investigations into alleged revenue leakages leveled against the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), an allegation which culminated in the managing director; Malam Habib Abdulahi  being summoned by the Presidency.

The alleged revenue leakage was said to have emanated from one of the aides to the President, who alleged that many ships have been berthing at the ports without paying the statutory dues and levies.

The aid specifically alleged that more than 200 cargo ships have docked over a period of time without making any payments.The revelation however coincided with the inauguration of the Lagos Pilotage Board by the managing director of NPA. The board’s inaugural meeting holds this week in Lagos.

Members of the board include very senior master mariners, such as; the incumbent President of Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Capt Ade Olopoenia, his immediate predecessor; Capt Adu. It also has first generation master mariner; Capt Abiodun Omoteso, immediate past Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council; Capt Adamu Biu, among others, as members.
                                   

On the strength of the allegations of the allegations of revenue leakage, the management of NPA and the minister of transport; Senator Idris Umar were summoned to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to defend themselves.

But, our source at the ministry of transport confirmed that, even though the meeting was shifted a few times, due to the tight schedule of some officials, it eventually held and that it was also attended by the Minister of finance; Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, and other very senior government officials.

Our source added that, after the meeting, a committee was set up to carry out a detail investigation of ship calls and revenue accruable from such calls.

“It was discovered that the ships that were wrongly classified as having been allowed into the ports without paying revenue into government coffers are actually wrongly appraised as such”, our source stated.

The committee reportedly discovered that usually, not all ships that are seen at the approach actually cal at the port.

“If a ship is at the Fairway Buoy, it does not mean that it will eventually berth at our port, but there are many ships that are always at either the Fairway Buoy or the Anchorage for suspicious reason. If these ships are captured as part of those that have docked at the port, then it is totally incorrect”.

"Apart from this, do you think any terminal operator will allow a ship to berth without collecting its revenue, you seem to have forgotten that, NPA is no longer the sole operator of the port, the terminal operators are the master stevedores now”, he said.

“The committee was also informed that, the fact that the revenue of NPA is dropping is attributable to some policies of the Federal Government which are in the larger interest of the entire economy and the people of Nigeria” and not as a result of non-payment of revenue by ships calling at the ports.

“For instance, the policy on importation of rice and used vehicles will negatively affect NPA’s revenue, but that does not amount to revenue leakage, it is revenue loss”, our source added.

But a member of the Pilotage Board; Capt Omoteso applauded the managing director for resuscitating the pilotage board, saying it has been in limbo for more than four years.

He confirmed that it was when the current NPA boss was appointed that he reconstituted the board , even as he added that the duty of the board is specified in the Port Act.
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