NPA admits collapse of Escravos breakwaters
Lagos -- The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has commenced moves to investigate the alleged abuse of the Coastal and Merchant Shipping Act, otherwise known as Cabotage Law, by foreigners. Speaking to Sweetcrudereports on the sidelines of the justconcluded Federal Ministry of Transportation Retreat held in Lagos, Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services at NIMASA, Mr. Victor Ochei, said there have been reports of abuse of the law in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, patronage of foreigners.
Ochei also said that an analysis of the report of the alleged abuse is currently being undertaken by the agency.
Ochei stated: “We are doing
Lagos – The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has finally admitted that the two breakwaters in Escravos have collapsed, a development the authority says is responsible for shallowness of the Channel.
The Channel leads to the Warri and other ports and the management of the NPA has promised to rehabilitate the navigational aid as soon as possible.
The breakwaters play major role in the provision of nautical access for vessels to Warri, Koko and Sapele Ports in Delta State.
In his presentation at the justconcluded Ministerial Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Transport held in Lagos, the Acting Managing Director of NPA, Mohamed Bello-Koko, explained that the entire port complex is protected by the two breakwaters which are totally dilapidated adding that rehabilitation works on the infrastructure has commenced.
He stated: “The entire port is protected by two break-waters which are totally dilapidated, this is responsible for the shallow draught in the Channel.
“Towards restoring the situation, management had awarded contract for the Geotechnical investigation which has been completed while the design for the new breakwater is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, in a bid to meet the requirement of the International Standard Organization, ISO, 9001, the NPA has also rehabilitated its control towers at both the Tin-Can Island Port, TCIP, and the Apapa Port Complex, LPC.
According to Bello-Koko, the Control Towers at both TCIP and LPC have undergone considerable deterioration over the years as the piecemeal maintenance of the structures have proven to be inadequate.