A group, the Nigerians Against Theft in the Maritime Sector (NATIMS), has called on the Federal Government to re-examine operations at the nation’s sea ports to block revenue leakages in the maritime sector.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the Chairman of the group, Dr. Jonas Bankole, said the call was necessary because of inappropriate berthing or direct reception of ocean going ships/vessels at some terminals.
He said these actions translated into huge revenue loss to the Federal Government.
He cited a ship with 470 twenty-foot equivalent of containers that allegedly sneaked into Nigerdock facility at Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, Apapa in Lagos since Jan. 19 and some others.
According to him, the ship has been seized by the customs because its rule says “that on no circumstance should any ship/vessel coming in from foreign, berth at any other place other than the conventional ports’’.
He said the ship might not have observed the rule as it headed straight to private jetty and wondered how this could happen without the knowledge of the authorities.
Bankole said the group would petition the Senate and House of Representatives committees on Maritime Transport on how such activities had negatively impacted on the revenue base of the nation.
