The House of Representatives joint committees on Ports Harbours and Waterways and Marine Transport yesterday blamed the federal government for non compliance with the 25 years concession of seaports agreement signed with key stakeholders.
According to the joint Committees, they discovered during oversight visits with stakeholders that Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Concessionaires carefully reviewed the parties written submissions since July to date which revealed a general consensus on the issues and challenges affecting performance of the lease.
The issues cut across concession. Terminals from both the Easthern and Western ports with varying degrees of impact on individual concession agreements.
In a unanimous resolution the Committees mandated the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to review the concession agreements with the legal representatives of individual Terminal Operators and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE).
That, the exercise should be completed on or before 30 December 2016 and the supplemental agreements containing the review as mutually agreed and executed and report back at the end of exercise.
Also, the joint Committee will work with the NPA and BPE on the passage of the National Transport Commission bill, including Ports and Harbour bill as well as in areas of appropriation to enable them fulfill their obligations under the supplemental Lease Agreements containing elements of the review to future failure.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Privitazation and Commercialization, Ahmed Yerima while speaking to press after meeting said the concessionaires have not done enough but the federal government failed in its responsibility to provide security and also mostly by not meeting the obligations of the concessions.
Both parties are to carry out the following; dredging, ports access roads, security, tarrifs, wreck re-oval guaranteed minimum tonnage etc.
0 comments: