Why Ports and Harbours Bill should be passed - Operators

By ZION Olalekan |

Maritime industry stakeholders have called on the National Assembly to ensure quick passage of the controversial Ports and Harbour Bill, saying that the Bill remains the solution to reduction of high port charges and port costs.

Leading the pack of stakeholders who called for the passage of the Bill, Vice Chairman of ENL consortium, a port concessionaire, Princess Vicky Haastrup while fielding questions from journalists recently lamented that the Bill has been delayed at the National Assembly for too long.

Recall that the Ports and Harbours Authority Bill, 2015, which seeks to repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority Act 1955, as amended, has been passed by the Senate and is awaiting concurrent passage by the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile the ENL boss called on the federal government saying ” it has delayed for too long, it has been twelve years since the terminal operators have been operating in various ports of Nigeria and yet this Bill is still waiting to be passed and assented to by Mr. President”.

Apart from Haastrup, maritime lawyer and partner at Akabogu and Associates, Victor Onyegbado expressed fears that if the bill is not passed by the 8th national assembly, the ports and harbour Bill may go the way of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

“The ports and harbour Authority Bill has passed the third and final reading at the senate, it requires concurrent passage at the house and then presidential accent for it to become law, this is one year after and we don’t know what has become of the bill.

“Those later matters were the lesser of the huddles that the bill has to climb, but those huddles are yet to be climbed at the moment, the 8th national assembly is going to dissolve by next year and we may have to go all the way back”.

On his part, Senior Assistant at Banwo & Ighodalo, Mr. Adedoyin Ademola Afun said the Ports and Harbour Bill remedies all issues pertaining to port cost and high charges.