Users of the Rivers and Onne Ports have raised the alarm
over the loss of their investments and perishable consignments as a result of
the arrest of port workers by the state COVID-19 task force on the orders of
Nyesom Wike, the governor.
The governor, who has imposed a 24-hour lockdown on Port
Harcourt and Obi Akpor local government areas over the COVID-19 pandemic,
refused to place port workers under essential duty.
This is contrary to the guidelines of the presidential task
force of COVID-19 which classified port operations as essential services.
The federal government had said despite lockdown, ports should remain open to trade so as to facilitate importation and delivery of essential goods, such as foods and medical supplies.
But in the last one week, many port workers, including
staffers of the regulatory Nigerian Ports Authority, terminal operators,
shipping agents and dockworkers have been arrested, with vehicles conveying
them to work impounded.
Speaking with TheCable, Daniel Kalu, managing director of
Africa Atlantic International Agencies, said the vessel transporting his
consignment of 4,500 metric tons of frozen mackerel fish worth millions of
euros have been unable to berth at the Rivers Port for about two weeks, a
situation which he said could make his company lose the entire consignment.
“Even if we get the consignment out now, we already would
have lost half of our investment because the fish has lost quality and we won’t
be able to sell at the standard price,” he said.
“That is not to speak of the demurrage that we must pay to
ship owners for keeping their vessels longer than expected. We pay a demurrage
of 7800 US dollars per day.”
He added that the same vessel had called in and discharged
cargo at the Lagos ports before heading into Port Harcourt where activities are
on standstill.
Another consignee, Olufemi MacJulius of Fejudam Shipping
Services, said the vessel carrying his bulk cargo of wheat is waiting at
neighbouring Bonny because it cannot approach Port Harcourt as a result of the
lockdown.
“We pay a demurrage of $15 every day because the vessel is
not able to berth as a result of the fact that port workers, including pilots
and stevedores cannot come to work out of fear of arrest and detention, if not
prosecution by the Rivers state government,” he said.
A vessel laden with a consignment of Muriate of Potash is
unable to berth at the Onne Ports as a result of the same situation.
The inability to discharge this consignment may affect
planting this year, given that the rains are already here.
The port users expressed worry that apart from the loses
that investors in perishable goods like frozen fish and wheat for food
processing will incur from the closure of the ports, the situation will affect
the food supply chain in the south-south and south-east regions of the country
as well as the image of Nigeria in the international maritime community.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) had threatened
a nationwide protest over arrest of 20 dockworkers in the state.
The association had said being essential services providers, the dock workers ought to be allowed to work at all seaports in the country, especially as most seaports are under the ownership and control of the federal government.
“We wish to use this medium to state that if nothing is done
to effect the release of our members, the union will have no option but to
withdraw our services in the entire nation’s seaport, terminals and jetties in
solidarity with our detained members as an injury to one is an injury to all,”
MUWN said in a statement signed by Adewale Adeyanju, its president-general.
“We were informed that the affected dockworkers were
returning from essential service operations to BUA/PTOL terminal, Port Harcourt
and were unlawfully and forcefully arrested, and detained by Rivers State
Taskforce on enforcing COVID-19 Lockdown.”
According Adeyanju, all entreaties made by the dockworkers
to the task force team led by Wike, that they were on essential services fell
on deaf ears even though they presented duly signed “Essential Duty Port Pass”
issued by the NPA.
Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor’s spokesman, could not be
reached as of the time of filing this report but in a statewide boradcast last
week, Wike had said: “The hard choices we have to make as a Government and as a
people over the COVID-19 pandemic are all premised on upholding the sanctity of
human life.”
The governor was severely criticised during the weekend over
the pulling down of two hotels in Eleme and Onne on his orders.
The hotels had allegedly violated the directive to suspend
operations till further notice.
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