THE Petroleum Products Depots Association of Nigeria (PPDOA) has described as absurd and unlawful, the eviction of its members from the Waziri jetty in Lagos by the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) despite a subsisting court order to the country.
The group also alleged that NPA evicted its members (local operators) from the facility only to replace them with a foreign company, NIPCO Plc, describing the move as a flagrant abuse of the Local Content Act.
To this end, the association has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to mandate the NPA to allow its members return to the jetty, which served as a common user facility to the six tank farm owning companies in the axis. They are Hensmor, A-Z Petroleum, G-Eurafric, Energy Destination, AITEO and NIPCO.
Speaking at a recent press briefing in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of PPDOA, Mrs. Patricia Okereke, alleged that the travails of her members whose use of the Waziri jetty dates back to April 5, 2000 when one of them, Hensmor, wrote to NPA requesting the lease of the jetty and its adjourning land (also part of the facility).
“Hensmor was made to believe its application was being considered and awaited a reply. But on February 17, 2007, NPA closed the jetty. We later learnt on same day of NIPCO’s application for same jetty/adjourning land despite the pending application of Hensmor and other local players. So, on February 21, 2007 the plaintiff (Hensmor) filed a motion exparte restraining NPA or its agents from preventing plaintiffs’ vessels from berthing and or conducting business at the jetty and from entering any lease on the property in question.
“But on April 24, 2007, NPA’s preliminary objection arguing to dismiss the case and that the adjourning land was separate from the jetty was dismissed by the Federal High Court. Again on February 26, 2008, the Federal High Court set aside the lease agreement dated April 4, 2007 that was granted by NPA to NIPCO because it was a flagrant disobedience of a valid and subsisting court order not to lease the property to any third party (NIPCO).
“At a point, NPA advised that no one common user can be granted the jetty’s adjourning land and PPDOA was formed and officially registered on December 13, 2013 under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2007. Today, we have six members. But the unfortunate thing is that NIPCO, a foreign company, is just one entity and it has taken over the jetty. We now have to pay NIPCO rent to use this facility. Can this happen in India or any country for that matter? Why is NPA deceiving us and not respecting court orders?” she lamented.
0 comments :
Post a Comment