Shipowners express concerns over Insecurity At Warri, Bonny Anchorages

Abiola seun

President of the Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA), Aminu Umar has raised the alarm over the high rate of insecurity at the Warri and Bonny anchorage.

In a chat with journalists, Umar said the Warri anchorage has spike insurance premium for shipowners describing it as a very tough one.

Pointing out that the Lagos anchorage is the only one anyone can sincerely lay a reasonable claim of safety or security, the shipowner boss added: “There is another one in Warri, Delta State, which is a tough one. Many vessels are afraid of that place; in fact, international vessels don’t drop anchor there.

Even as for a Nigerian ship going there, our insurers charge us higher because it is considered as an unsafe area.

“Another anchorage is the one in Bonny, Rivers State. This one is considered totally unsafe. So, no vessel stays there”, he explained, noting that even the Lagos anchorage still suffer attacks by sea robbers, in offshore Lagos.

“Every ship owner that goes into the Delta has to take his own private security, and it is costing us a lot.

“We don’t know what Government’s plan is, presently. But we hope that they would be able to create the safety net, to ensure safety of vessels, particularly in the Niger Delta area, which has been so dangerous.

“Almost on a daily basis there is a kidnap, or hijack. That is why when vessels have to go there, they have Naval armed men on board the ship, which is against shipping practice because some of the ships carry volatile cargoes and if there is any mistake of a gunshot is can set the ship ablaze. But we have no option than to have them on board the ships because of the high risk situation.

“Like I said, Bonny anchorage is the most dangerous. No vessel is able to anchor there. And in my own thinking, the security of any anchorage falls within the domain of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) because anchorages are under the NPA and they should be able to maintain the security for vessels to be safe when they come there. Unfortunately the NPA is not doing so for now.

“The next infrastructure is moving from anchorage to the berth.

“What we want to see is that the channels are well dredged and correctly charted and clearly marked, so that navigation is well aided. A vessel cannot see under the water, so it needs to be directed through the aids to navigation for it to find its way.

“But some of those channels have no buoys, so the captains of the ships only work by intuition of the Pilot who everybody believes knows where the vessel is supposed to be going. But, remember, this asset is worth millions of dollars and it is insured. Insurance is clearly stated to you that you only go to places that are channelled and marked.

“If majority of the Nigerian water channels are not marked, it means you are in negligence of whatever you are doing based on your insurance terms. This is what we are facing. That is why we say the infrastructure is not there.

“Two, the vessels need assistance of the tug boats to assist the vessels to come along side. There are many places today in Nigerian ports where there are no tugboats. And every ship that goes into port pays for these tugboats to the NPA. We pay them and they don’t deliver it and they don’t refund the money to you!

“We have had experiences of so many accidents that have caused damages to our vessels because there were no tugboats to support the ship, or because the channels were not clearly marked, as a result of which vessels would leave the channels and go to hit fishing nets owned by local fishermen and we would pay fines.

“The NPA does not come to your rescue at that, even though the channels belong to them and you pay for harbour services.

“In other parts of the world, there is no way you have fishing nets in a vessel channel area.