Vincent Toritseju
01 February 2019, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is to embark on an awareness campaign to raise the consciousness of the people on the need for clean waters, to sustain aquatic life and navigation.
NPA’s General Manager, Health Safety Environment, HSE, Engr. I.S. Abdulbaki, disclosed this as the agency commenced the cleanup of oil spills at the Onne Port Channel at the Federal Oceans Terminal, FOT, Onne, River State.
The cleanup exercise is the first of such project being executed by the personnel of the Environment Department of the NPA.
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Speaking at the commencement of the cleanup project, Abdulbaki said though the actual cause of the oil spills at the port could not be ascertained, the thinking is that they are a result of the activities of oil bunkers and also wastes from communities that are emptied into the water channels.
He said part of the activities being carried out was to remove debris from the waters and use chemicals to clean the water to achieve improved water.
The Acting Port Manager, Mrs Barbara Ejemeh Nchey-Achukwu, who represented the Port Manager, Alhassan Ismaila Abubakar, commended the wisdom of the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, in giving approval for the cleanup of the water channel.
She stated that the port manager had been aware of the various complaints from terminal operators relating to oil pollution in the waters and was therefore excited at the commencement of the clean up.
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She said the NPA had, by this effort, shown care and that vessel owners, who had been complaining over oil spill stains on their vessels hauls, would no longer have such complaints following the exercise.
“I know after this exercise, terminal operators will no longer complain to Onne Port Management of stains on their anchored vessels”, Nchey-Achukwu stated.
