The Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for truncating efforts of indigenous players in lifting Nigeria's crude oil.
The Chairman of NISA; Chief Isaac Jolapamo accompanied by the Secretary General of the association; Capt. Niyi Labinjo leveled the allegation yesterday at a press briefing with members of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Apapa Lagos
NISA alleged that the NNPC is frustrating the efforts of government is ensuring that local players are allowed to carry Nigeria's crude, according to then, NNPC rather engage services of faceless middle men.
According to Chief Isaac Jolapamo, "Successive governments have been trying to make sure that they bring in Nigerian ship owners to carry the Nigerian crude, but each time, it is frustrated by the NNPC, there is something they say very often and which is very sad, they say indigenous players lack capacity, there is nothing like that"
"They have impunity for our laws, otherwise the Nigerian Content Act has spelt it out that Nigerians must take 90 per cent participation, it does not lie with a minister or anybody, NIMASA has also specified that 50 per cent of carriage will be done by Nigerians"
Jolapamo narrated that all a ship owner requires to have capacity is just the carriage contract, and that with the letter of intent, the ship owner will get money from the bank to acquire the standard vessel required.
Also speaking on the alleged NNPC insincerity, the scribe of NISA; Capt Niyi Labinjo added that: "Is NNPC bigger than Nigeria? It is impunity of government, they feel that nobody can hold them, I am told that Obasanjo administration specifically indicated the crude must be carried by Nigerians, if the President is saying this, then why should an NNPC staff say otherwise" he asked.
Speaking further, Jolapamo alleged that the pronouncement by the Minister of Petroleum Resources; Mrs Deziani Allison Maduekwe that crude oil lifting rights of 2014 to 2015 was given to Nigerian oil traders was misleading.
The association has therefore demanded that the identity of the benefiting traders and their companies be published for the knowledge of indigenous operators.
According to him, part of the conditions to grant the rights to the indigenous oil traders was that they must work with Nigerian shipping companies for the carriage of the crude, but this according to him have not been done.
Jolapamo said that efforts were not made to contact the association for its input, even as he alleged that the Minister of Petroleum had snubbed efforts by the association to reach her for discussions and clarification on the subject of the award of lifting contracts.
"We humbly ask the honorable Minister of Petroleum to review the list of successful oil traders and publish the names of the Nigerian shipping companies alongside."
"This is the least required if the government wants to demonstrate transparency and openness. That way it will be open to all to verify the existence of the shipping companies and to confirm that they are registered with NIMASA and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources" he said.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/indigenous-ship-owners-dare-petroleum-minister-release-names-crude-lifting-beneficiaries-0
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