NPA buys patrol boats, stops private security charges – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigerian Ports Authority has read the riot act to providers
of private security and escorts for vessels approaching the Lagos
anchorage area.

It has also purchased security vessels for sea patrol to enhance
waterfront security at the Lagos ports.

The agency specifically frowned on the exorbitant daily fee of
$2000 paid by vessels to private security outfits to secure their
vessels against attacks by hoodlums.

During a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, the operators had
raised concerns over constant attacks on vessels at berth and the
amount of money being paid to private security firms by shipping
companies to guarantee security.

The Secretary to the Apapa Berthing Meeting, Lucky Egbedi, said,
“They have security outfits that vessels now have to pay to and
they pay $2,500/day. Why not make the entire anchorage area safe
with security and an anchorage due is charged every vessel that is
coming to the Lagos anchorage?”

In her response, the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza
Bala-Usman, said security for vessels at the ports and the
anchorage area was the responsibility of the NPA, adding that the
authority was doing this in collaboration with the Nigerian
Navy.

Bala-Usman, who spoke through the Director, Marine and
Operations, Sekonte Davies, said the NPA had procured some security
vessels to enhance waterfront security at the ports.

She said, “There is no longer any anchorage addressed as ‘safe
anchorage. Today, marine notice has been issued. We are aware that
$2,000 is being charged on the first day and every other subsequent
day is $1,500. That would not exist anymore from today.

“To provide security is NPA’s responsibility and the Navy has
been in collaboration with us to ensure that every anchorage of the
NPA is safe. The National Security Adviser and the Chief of Naval
Staff are collaborating with us.

“The NPA has procured security patrol boats and we are going to
take delivery of some of them in the next six weeks. If not for a
few issues, by now, they should have been here which will enhance
our waterfront patrols and enhance our security operations.”

Also responding to complaints about fenders and the fact that
they were needed to improve vessel dwell time at the ports, the NPA
MD said that the procurement process for fenders would soon
commence.

“We are also addressing the issue of fenders. We understand the
implication that without the fenders, some of the vessels will not
call because of the environmental hazards they may get. So that
will affect the dwell time.

“We are trying to make sure we look at other ports where some of
the fenders are not being used so that we can quickly install them
while the procurement process of acquiring other fenders would
commence,” she said.

On her part, the Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex, Fumilayo
Olotu, addressed stakeholders’ concerns about the dilapidated port
access road.

She assured the stakeholders that the port management was
collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Works to speed up
ongoing construction of the Lagos port access roads.