House Urges FG to Implement Suppression of Piracy Act in Gulf of Guinea …Investigates transport ministry over dredging contracts

The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to fully implement the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act which provides for a legal framework to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

It also urged the government to direct the Nigerian Navy to safe-guard the waterways and partner other countries in the Gulf of Guinea Commission as well as relevant security agencies of the United Nations to checkmate activities of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.

The House made the call after adopting the report of the ad-hoc committee to determine why the Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and Onitsha ports complexes are not being put to maximal use, which was laid on Tuesday before the House at the plenary by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Buba Yusuf Yakub.

The House also urged the government to direct the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to account for the three percent freight charges collected in the last 10 years, having failed to ensure the security of Nigerian water ways.

The lawmakers equally demanded the investigation of NIMASA over its alleged failure to secure Nigeria’s waterways despite the huge sums being collected from ship owners.

The House urged "the federal government to direct the Nigerian Navy to safeguard the waterways and partner other countries in the Gulf of Guinea Commission as well as relevant security agencies of the United Nations to checkmate activities of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.

"To fully implement the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act which provides for a legal framework to fight piracy and create more conducive maritime environment."

The House also resolved to investigate the payment of $50,000 to the Nigerian Navy before escorting vessels to its destination.

 

The lower chamber called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to ensure the provision of appropriate cargo handling infrastructure for seamless port operations in the Eastern ports, while also calling on  the NPA to enforce the provision of modern cargo equipment as a prerequisite for engagement as an operator.

It also urged the NPA to dredge all the ports to the minimum standard of 9 to13 metres so as to allow vessels into those zones and also reduce siltation.

The House further resolved to investigate the Ministry of Transportation and the NPA on all the dredging contracts awarded in the last 10 years.

It urged the NPA to review the lease fees and charges for the operators and to also consider deliberate implementation of a regime to reduce port charges in other ports other than Lagos ports in other to attract shippers.

The lower chamber also called on the NPA to review the 10 percent incentives given to vessels going to the Eastern corridors by removing the condition attached to it, thereby allowing all categories of vessels to benefit from it as well as consider a return to the previous 30 percent enjoyed by operators.

The House further urged the federal government to grant Sovereign Guarantee to investors to make the Calabar Deep Sea Port succeed, as it charged the Ministry of Transportation to approve expeditiously the complete overhauling of Rivers port as submitted by the NPA.