NIGERIAN TRIBUNE - Maritime

‘African Circle: We lack the power of arrest’ updated: Wednesday 27-08-2008 Ahmadu Fidi AhmaduNigeria’s efforts at meeting the International Maritime Organization specifications on Marine Pollution Annexes 1 and 5 got more realistic as a multi-billion Naira marine pollution treatment plant is sited on the Snake Island by the African Circle group. The plant’s Regional Manager, Ahmadu Fidi Ahmadu, in a chat with DELE ADERIBIGBE, explained that while they had a mandate to mop up hazardous spills into the nation’s waters, they actually lack the power of arrest. Excerpts: Seeing the kind of heavy plants being installed here, Nigerians should naturally want to know how long this pollution control dream has been sir? Three years. It actually started three years ago. However, we started the initial scope of the project on a miniature scale. What we had then was only water separator instead of incinerator; but we sat down at a retreat and came up at some point after ward on extending services to the oil and gas industries to include as well, the Search and Rescue. At that point now, we jettisoned the initial idea of installing the oily water separator and decided to install the G4’s plant you just saw, which is a world class marine pollution control plant for oily waste treatment. That scope also now gave rise to the installation of the washing and crushing equipment that you also just saw. The remaining equipment is arriving next week to enable full treatment of all toxic and hazardous waste. At the initial stage, what was the cost, as compared to what you have now? Initially the project was supposed to gulp only $6 million in terms of equipment at inception facility alone. But along the line, certain things came up too, which includes the concessioning by Bureau of Public Enterprises and so we were left with no site. As a corporate entity we wanted to fulfill the mandate to the industry and as such we sought approval from Nigerian Ports Authority, more so as most of the equipment are in modular unit; to site this facilities on the free (trade) zone and this is at our own cost, pending when the issue of a more suitable land issue is resolved. Then, we can un-couple this equipment and install them where we are being given site. But with the expanded scope, the installation of the waste reception facilities has shifted to about $20 million dollars (about N2.4 billion). At the moment we have 4 vessels built in Turkey by Marfidenis; by next month we are commissioning two; officers from NIMASA and the NPA, especially their surveyors, they all attended the formal hand over last week. The ships have fire fighting capabilities and in the event of products spill, they also have all these reels; so you can deploy fuel booms to enable us do comprehensive mop up. We intend using our base at the Tin Can for our rapid response as we begin to run a 24-hour services. We want to ensure that in the event that anything happens, we can be found on ground, 24 hours, daily. It seems the International Maritime Organization IMO has not fewer than 1 to 5 annexes now. Which categories do you intend to cover presently? Two basically. This is because in Nigeria we can only talk about two annexes; the annex 1 and 5. We actually talk about solid and the liquid waste but for some of these other ones that come under the obnoxious liquid, palette etc; they are not yet in force in Nigeria at the moment. And what is the certainty of your raw material supply? We basically now deal with sludge from vessels that is Marpol, [Marine pollution]. When these vessels call, you know they generate waste during their voyages; so what we do is to establish the quantity of the liquid waste they want to dislodge. Then, we actually go with our tugs which are across at Tin Can with badges, selecting the appropriate size that will go alongside and they pump it into the barges while the other two tanks will take the clean products out. We then bring them here to the facility for necessary treatment, and at the end, you get pure oil and very clean water, which will be as good as any drinking water. Can your organization intervene in case you come across a ship dislodging oily wastes into the Nigerian waters? Part of our mandate is that we can monitor, we can report but we actually don’t arrest. We are aware that activities do take place once in a while at some of these tank farms. That is why you see oil slips from time to time. That is why the water is not clean. We act appropriately. But we have no power of arrest. What about ballast waters? We are developing first class laboratory here too. So, we should be able to also treat ballast waters naturally. We are annually expecting more than 20,000 calls from vessels. We are expecting not fewer than about 3000 metric tones of garbage too. We have been doing this. The tasks consists of carting away from these vessels wastes, and thereafter, we do the sorting and we incinerate. So far so good sir, but you are yet to mention how you intend to give anything back to the people from this facility? At the moment we are working on a blue print where part of our corporate social responsibility will earmark some streets on the Lagos Island and mainland; where we can put our skips and assist in collecting their solid wastes to enable us treat them here. But a lot has to be done first, in the area of educating the people on the importance of segregating their waste. The focus is not just to simply put the skips everywhere. We are also trying to now designate the inform the Ministry of Health in respect of evolving a partnership for a more appropriate disposal of clinical wastes. Free trade zones we learnt operate on distinct rules; so how conducive has this environment been, in terms of cost? The environment has been conducive. And we pay about $19.50 per square metre.

Dry ports operation will cut down cost at sea ports - Biu Captain BiuThe Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Captain Adamu Biu, in a chat with Assistant Editor, DELE ADERIBIGBE, speaks on topical issues like operational performance, dry ports, challenges on the international scene, concluding that the Nigerian Shippers Council is set to reduce inflation by cutting and pruning down sea port tariffs and making dry ports work. Excerpts: HOW would you access the performance of your organization, especially in rela-tions to your set goals and vision for the year? How would you rate the Council’s pace in the first half year. Well to be candid with you, I would not be able to tell you that I am yet satisfied with the performance of the Nigerian Shippers Council [NSC] in the first six month of the year. I say this simply because, from the beginning of the year 2008, going by our set objectives, which include achieving one or two key goals. But you know that Government works largely on budgeting; which we have somehow not matched at desired pace. Everything we do here is usually based on laid down rules; this is what we want to do, this is how much it would cost us, and this is the time frame. This is in line with our enabling act. For instance, we had to organize the election of the freight forwarders council of Nigeria (FFCN); we did this in conjunction with our colleagues in the industry; we had to inaugurate them. We had to pursue the take off of the Inland Container Deports [ICDs]; those are the ones that we have on the ground. Additionally, we have several symposia, seminars and conferences lined up for the year, and all those things have to be financed. Optimally, we cannot operate, except we have the funds. Now, this is July, and as we speak, our allocation for the first quarter of 2008 has not been released to us. Our allocation from the Federal account, for 2008 has not been released as at today (the 11 of July 2008). So, we have little or almost nothing to do except to strive as much as possible to work within the limited resources at our disposal. And that is the greatest handicap we have, in terms of our operation and desire to give the Nigerian people qualitative service. We are only able to pay salaries; nothing else. It is only from all that we have received in the previous year that we have managed prudently. And that has lasted us up till now. But, we are optimistic that Government would address this issue as soon as possible. And of course, when that is in place, by the special grace of God, NSC would operate at new pace. The council is establishing new grounds to give special services to stakeholders and these include the exporters and importers whose well being is vital to the National economy. You organized an international seminar recently in Abuja; you are paying salaries; and you have not collected any allocation, seven months in to the year! What is the secret? Let me be honest with you, what we have tried to do is made target funding for certain tasks. We were aware from last year that this international seminar would hold. So, we secured budget for it. It is annual. Annually, we have Maritime seminar for Judges. And this is the 10th one, we had invited different Judges from the sub region, including the Chief Justice of Ghana and other neighboring countries. There was no way we were going to shelve it. More so, as we were also working with the National Judicial Institute. But, in terms of financing, the Shippers Council financed it 100 percent! We knew this would come up. So, we also ensure provision for it, from what ever we earned in 2007. If we were to rely on this year’s allocation, we wouldn’t have been able to fund it. Your services are very vital to the industry and we are happy that government recognizes this. So, may we ask, why do you think the Council is not being properly funded? I think why we are not being funded on time is because the government has not put in place the machinery to directly fund the NSC. This may be as a result of the manner in which funding is presently arranged. We have an act of parliament which says the NCS should be funded from freight earnings. It says it should be via a one percent of freights paid on all export or import cargoes. The act further goes to say that the NSC can either self collect or appoint an agency to collect on her behalf. So far however, this has not been actualized. Over the year, what has happened is that government has not implemented that one percent collection either by the council or by any agency appointed by the council. Government has created what is known as the Seven percent Import Duty Surcharged. The customs collect this seven percent; and one percent of this seven percent is made available to the NSC for her programmes, seminars etc. That amount is released quarterly. What this mean is that from January 1st to 31st march of the year, which is a quarter, whatever custom collected, is collated and the ministry of finance, through the office of the Accountant General, works it out and releases it to the NSC- via application. Via application means that we have to apply for it. We would write to indicate that we are due for this one percent. So Captain, why did you fail to apply for your first quarter allocation on April 1st, 2008. Or, your second quarter allocation on July 2nd, 2008? Would a vibrant, instead of a sleeping system fail to release the first quarter allocation, even as at the end of the second week of July? Please don’t talk like that! Okay sir. So what happened? We did apply for our first quarter allocation in April, but I think for some reasons, it couldn’t be ready. Of course we could not have applied until after the 31st of March. I think the situation is that between April and now, it was still being worked upon. And day before yesterday, we obtained information that we have received ministerial approval for the first quarter of 2008 to be paid. I understand your perspective. And it is only very natural that operating on such arrangements would affect our budget implementation to be defective. At this rate sir, the Council would only be too lucky to obtain the third allocation even by the end of the year, whatever the cost may be to the stakeholders. Has it ever occurred to you sir, that Nigerians may not understand that the inefficiency of a few guys in one ministry can wreck untold havoc on hard working stakeholders in the nation’s maritime sector? I insist you shouldn’t talk like that. Ok, go ahead sir. So, such delays would no doubt affect our budget implementation. But then of course, even if we are lucky to obtain the third allocation by December this year, we would still be going into the next year, in deficit. And that means that when we go to the National Assembly by next year to discuss our budget performance, a huge discrepancy would still be in place; and so, we may have to explain and explain all over again; especially in terms of reason why we were not able to duly implement our approved budgetary allocation in accordance with what we got. So, as to why we were not timely funded, that is the back ground information, and that is why may not be adequately funded, as at when due. Secondly, even the amount we receive is not stable. You can not predict what we would receive. Sometime it is ‘x’; and sometimes, it is ‘x minus y’; and it is seasonal. When trade is booming, we expect improved allocation; and when it nose-dives, we get ‘x-y’.
back	top

‘African Circle: We lack the power of arrest’

Dry ports operation will cut down cost at sea ports - Biu