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Petroleum Tanker Drivers Cry Out Over Tanker Hijack

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LAGOS: Despite the introduction of electronic system of loading petroleum products at tank farms, also known as ‘Project Aquila’ which was introduced by the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) early this year, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG has said that the scheme has reduced product diversion but that unfortunately, the hijacking of petroleum tankers still continue.

According to PEF, ‘Project Aquila’ was part of the measures introduced to check the diversion of fuel and fraudulent claims of bridging funds by transporters, but the tanker drivers has said that even though the gesture is good, it has not extended to all petroleum tankers.

The Assistant Secretary of the PTD at the Lagos Zonal office, Comrade Tayo Boyeji alleged that seventy percent of the petroleum trucks that are being loaded from the tank farms around Ibru jetty are not being tracked under the project Aquila scheme.

Comrade Boyeji who is also the secretary of the PTD unit at Acorn tank farm around Coconut bus stop in Apapa; said that if a truck is being tracked properly as it should be, there is no way that such a truck can be diverted without it being noticed, he however stressed that a truck that is not being tracked can be hijacked to any unknown spot.

“Petroleum tankers are not being diverted anymore, they are now being hijacked, unfortunately, it is only thirty percent of the trucks that are being tracked, the remaining seventy percent are not being tracked and therefore once they are hijacked that is the end of the product”

He also confirmed that the reason for this development is because many of the petroleum depots did not make it compulsory to track all the trucks leaving their depot with petroleum product. He also pointed out that owners of the cargoes sometimes contribute to the problem by refusing to get their product tracked.

“The reason for this is that, it is only few of the major marketers that have made the tracking of tankers compulsory, not all of them are making it mandatory, many of the tank farms around coconut are not making use of the tracking, the trucks just come, and load and they go”

 

“The owner of the product can also decide not to track it, he can decide to take advantage of the scheme and he can decide not to bother” he said.

 

However, while speaking on the success of the project Aquila on petroleum tankers that subscribe to it, Operations Manager of First Deepwater petroleum tank farm, Mr. Sunday Okpithe said that the scheme is working perfectly and that it has helped in preventing a lot of fraud in bridging claims.

 

Speaking, Okpithe said that “I think the scheme is working, I see it as an improvement in our system, before now, once products are loaded from the tank farms, it will be difficult to ascertain if they really get to where they are intended, but now there is no way that you will load a truck and it will just disappear if the truck is being tracked”

 

Continuing he said that “We have not seen any shortcoming in the system, it is working perfectly, since they have just started with the implementation, I believe we should give them some time while we observe the effectiveness.”

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Maritime

NIMASA Makes Dockworkers Registration Compulsory

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The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has advised International Oil Companies, terminal and jetty operators, and all other companies involved in stevedoring in the country to refrain from engaging unregistered dockworkers.

The information was contained in a statement made available to Biztellers by the Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward.

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According to the statement, all stakeholders, including dock labour employers and stevedoring companies, are encouraged to apply for new operating licenses or renew expired ones within a 30-day moratorium period.

“This requirement,” it added, “is stipulated by the NIMASA Act of 2007 and outlined in the NIMASA Stevedoring Regulations of 2014, which mandates strict compliance from all maritime operators.”

Osagie cited the Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola as laying emphasis on the need for stakeholders to comply with extant laws and regulations.

Dr Mobereola said, “No terminal or company shall continue to engage the services of unregistered dockworkers for cargo handling at their work locations.

“This move is part of our broader effort to ensure safe and regulated operations within Nigeria’s maritime industry. Compliance with these regulations will enhance our ability to maintain an up-to-date database of dockworkers operating in the country. It also improves our planning processes, as we are committed to developing their capacity to meet globally accepted standards for dockworkers in Nigeria. We intend to enforce full compliance after the moratorium period.”

It was gathered that the NIMASA Act, 2007, Part IX, Section 27, addressed the registration of Dockworkers with focus on Maritime Labour.

“It ensures the Registration, Regulation, and control of Maritime Labour, including dockworkers. The Act assigns the Agency the responsibility of maintaining standards in accordance with international best practices,” Osagie added.

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Maritime

Maritime Diplomacy: Nigeria Seeks Election Into IMO Council

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Nigeria has expressed a strong desire to seek election into Category “C” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council.

The Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the disclosure at the 2024 World Maritime Day parallel event in Barcelona, Spain.

Oyetola noted that Nigeria has put in place the basic needs for the development of her maritime industry in line with recognized global best practices.

In his words, “our active participation in upholding key conventions, such as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, reflects our dedication to ensuring the safety of international shipping.

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There have been no incidents of piracy in the last three years, as confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). By deploying resources to provide maritime security assets, Nigeria has solidified its role as a key guardian of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria remains a valuable source of manpower for the industry. I therefore urge our partners to explore this potential and assist where possible in the best interest of all. Our Maritime Academy has adequate resources and facilities to support this development.

“I am pleased to announce Nigeria’s resolve to seek a Category “C” membership on the Council.

On his part, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, assured that no stone will be left unturned to ensure success in the quest for IMO Category C membership at the next elections.

According to him, “We at NIMASA have met with the IMO technical team and have commenced work on all identified grey areas so that Nigeria can address the gaps identified during the last audit by the IMO.

”We have also commenced the process of effective communication with other member states using the IMO GSIS platform, among others. While we at NIMASA focus on the technical aspects of the preparations, our supervising Ministry will provide the political will to guide Nigeria back to the Council at the IMO.”

Oyetola, who held engagement sessions with the IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and other diplomats, was accompanied on the working tour by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola; the Director General of the NIMASA; the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho; the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji; and the Director of Maritime Safety and Security Services, Mr. Babatunde Bombata.

This year’s parallel event with the theme: Navigating the Future: Safety First, brought together international maritime leaders and experts to discuss future challenges and opportunities, with the aim of ensuring that safety is prioritized in the day-to-day operations of the global maritime sector.

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Maritime

Why PPP Is Necessity For Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructural Dev’t – Mobereola 

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The adoption of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential for the infrastructural development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

This is the view of the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola.

The DG, shared his views while hosting the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh.

He emphasized the importance of the Commission’s increased involvement in attracting private investors to develop infrastructural capacity in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

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Dr. Mobereola said, “We appreciate the Management of the ICRC for being responsive. However, you know that the maritime sector is capital intensive and government funds cannot solely put in place the required infrastructure. We need the ICRC to develop PPP based business models that will be attractive to the private sector both from within and outside the country.

“There is the need to streamline processes by the use of technology, as we will continue to count on the support of ICRC to help drive the Agency’s PPP projects for effective and efficient service delivery to our stakeholders”.

Lending support to Dr. Mobereola’s views, Dr. Ewalefoh, underscored the significance of the maritime sector to Nigeria’s economy.

He noted that the PPP model would facilitate increased funding and expertise from the private sector, thereby accelerating the growth and development of the Nigerian maritime sector. Additionally, he stated that the ICRC is prepared to engage with the Agency on its projects and ensure timely execution.

“There is no time to waste; our country needs lots of funding for infrastructure and we need to create an enabling environment for activities to thrive. First, is service delivery, not revenue generation, and people will be willing to pay if they get the right services”, the ICRC boss noted.

The PPP model has proven to be the most viable approach worldwide for driving government policies that promote development and economic growth.

Biztellers reports that as a regulatory agency and Nigeria’s Maritime Administrator, the NIMASA has consistently embraced collaboration and partnership through the PPP initiative to ensure the growth and development of the maritime sector.

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