Mkpoikana Udoma 22 Mat 2017, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt- The Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, has dismissed claims that Rivers port is not safe due to the activities of pirates along the waterways.
Recall that the Eastern Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Services, NCS, had recently said that activities of sea pirates on the waterways of Rivers State have discouraged importers and ship owners in the region and affected revenue generation through sea imports.
But the Port Manager, NPA, Port Harcourt, Mr. Abubakar Umar, said that measures have been put in place to secure vessels within and around Port Harcourt.
Speaking when members of the Maritime Energy Media Practitioners of Nigeria visited him, Umar said container vessels can now berth at Rivers Port and urged importers to take advantage of the port as it is now ready to render services to customers.
“Rivers port has the capability of what other ports can do. In the past we hardly had containers coming here but with improved terminal operations, that is, the border terminal operators and lower terminal operators, now we are getting container vessels coming in. Importers now have the opportunity of patronising Rivers port.”
Umar also disclosed that charges in Rivers port is not in anyway different from other ports in the country.
“When you talk about tariff, you have to ask in which area? Because the Nigerian Port Authority has one tariff nationwide.
“The NPA tariff that we operate here is not in anyway higher than what is charged in the ports in Lagos, remember our operations are not done manually, so our charges are universal,” he said.
