The Honorable Minister of Transportation Eng Muazu Jaji Sambo has steps into the lingering disputes between the International Oil Companies
( IOC’s) and government appointed stevedoring companies.
The Minister has called for a meeting with all relevant stakeholders.and it was held on Tuesday 18th April 2023 to provide a lasting solution to the issues which has been on for long.
According to a press statement made available on Saturday by the Media officer of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Kennedy Ikemefuna, on the resolution reached at the meeting,. It states that stakeholders present at the meeting with the Minister of transportation includes the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN),
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and International Oil Companies (IOCs).
Others are the Stevedoring Operators of Nigeria, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) and Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS)
The statement reads this “During the meeting, the following resolutions were reached thus:-
1) Operationalization of the NPA appointed Stevedoring Operators at the Chevron Jetty, Warri by May 2, 2023
2) Other IOCs were given up to May 8, 2023 for full Operationalization of appointed Stevedores
3) The President of the Stevedoring Association of Nigeria should work on continuous capacity building for their members; and
4) The Ministry in conjunction with NPA should arrange a visit to some of the Jetties for an on-the-spot-assessment of the level of compliance of the IOCs and Jetties Operators immediately after May 8, 2023.
“However, these resolutions were taken by all the Stakeholders in attendance with very strong penchant and conviction that these resolutions as aforementioned will be implemented to the letters as raised and signed”
