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Nigerian Dredging Summit 2011. Pictures of Past Dredging Summits
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IN THE NEWS...
Special focus on five years of years of private terminal concession in Nigerian ports: Running Ro-Ro port Apapa as Fivestar Logistics Ltd terminal - an interview.
But the subject of this latest interaction is the fifth anniversary of private concessionaires in port terminal operation in Nigeria. It’s no longer news that Fivestar Logistics Ltd won the bid in 2006 to operate the Ro-Ro terminal at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos for fifteen years. For Danjuma this was a new challenge. The closest his company ever came to running a port facility was when Comet Shipping Agencies Ltd began operating container yards at the same Tin Can Island port in the mid-1980s, a stint the company kept up till the dawn of private terminal operation in Nigeria in 2006. On his feeling so far, the father of 8 said he feels fulfilled even though he has some expectation from the federal government. This is a no-holds-barred interview and, as he is known for concise speech, so he did here. He gives NPA kudos for dredging the terminal but he knocked them also for lethargy on the shameful inner port roads which are now clogs and death-traps. This brief interview is not a romantic exchange
but a demand for fairplay by a concessionaire who had paid his lease
and wants NPA and the federal government to hurry up and perform. Excerpts:
DDH: Five years after running a concessioned port terminal at the Ro-Ro Port in Tin Can Island Port, what are your general feelings and observations as the Chairman of Five Star Logistics Limited, the Terminal Operator? Chief Danjuma: Five years ago, the Federal Government of Nigeria saw the need for port modernization through a port reform programme called port concession. The tenets of this reform programme provide for public ownership of port infrastructure and transfer of cargo operational responsibilities to the private sector as a means of improving efficiency and reducing cost to users and the Federal Government. The concession process led to the emergence of 25 private terminal operators amongst which Five Star Logistics Ltd. is opportuned to be one of the concessionaires to operate the lease of Ro-Ro terminal at Tin Can Island Port. As the chairman of Five Star Logistics Ltd., I feel fulfilled and happy that Five Star Logistics is able to lift up the Ro-Ro port development and infrastructure to a greater height with the use of modern equipment and cranes for discharging and stacking containers, well paved stacking areas for vehicles and modern warehouses for discharging of general cargoes. I feel elated that the safety of cargoes is guaranteed in our terminal with utmost efficiency to the consignees in line with the objectives of port reforms by the Federal Government. My observations as the Chairman of
Five Star Logistics are as follows:- (2) The dredging of the channel to the port is just being carried out recently towards the fifth year anniversary of the concession, this delay in carrying out the dredging has inhibited berthing of some vessels in our terminal that have a depth of 10.5 meters or deeper. In essence income that would have accrued to us have been diverted to other terminals; it also hindered our competitiveness. (3) The road access to the port is very deplorable. Five years after the take-over of the ports, there has not been improvement in the road access to the ports. This has affected the movement of trucks to lift cargoes in the port and also increased the cost of doing services in the port, either by terminal operators hiring trailers to transfer consignments to their off-dock terminals or consignees hiring trucks to lift their consignments. (4) It is observed that Customs examination and release is taking a longer time and brings congestion at the ports. If timely Customs examination and release within 24 hours could be achieved as widely publicized, it will go a long way to reduce congestion at the ports and quicken delivery of consignments to customers. (5) The presence of some Government Agencies in the port apart from Nigerian Customs Services and essential Agencies is causing a lot of hindrances to the port reforms. Their presence and intervention in the release of cargo process is causing a lot of delay in service delivery and unnecessary additional cost of doing business. DDH: You inherited parts of this
terminal that were in poor operational state. How did you tackle the
re-construction or repair of such sections as part of your development
plan? DDH: What are the major infrastructure developments that have been accomplished by your organization since the start of the concession programme? Chief Danjuma: Much has been achieved by our organization since the start of the concession programme in line with the development plan which can be classified into civil development and moveable assets procurement. Civil developments carried out to date include: refurbishing of the Administration Building, refurbishing of the Custom Offices, installation of bore hole/water treatment plant, installation of CCTV system, electrification and lighting of the terminal, construction of new warehouses, construction of two power houses, construction of a clinic, construction of gate complex/pedestrian access and paving of stacking areas for containers and general cargoes. Also moveable assets such as cranes were purchased to facilitate discharge and loading of cargoes. DDH: What other major achievements can you recall as having been made by your terminal since inception? Chief Danjuma: Other major achievements we have made since the inception of the concession are as follows. We have been able to transform a former quack, dilapidated port to a modern port with well equipped machinery to meet the needs of our clients. The era of wharf rats has gone; our port is less porous and well secured; consignments are safe in our terminal. We achieve quick turn-around of vessels and quicker customer service delivery; we listen to customers when they have problems and always try to assist them as the case may be. Since the inception of the concession, there was no
trade dispute between us and our trade union, we are in partnership
with our staff and we take them as valued partners. We are also socially
responsive to our Apapa Community DDH: What are the problems still subsisting and that should be tackled by the Federal Government or the NPA or other regulatory agencies? Chief Danjuma: The immediate problem that needs to
be addressed is access road to the ports. The roads are bad and almost
impassable. There is need to address the road issue speedily by the
Federal Government and NPA. The express road from Oshodi to Apapa is
very bad and needs serious rehabilitation. Another problem is the issue of space inadequacy in our terminal compared with our scope of operation. We are presently making use of private off-dock terminals to supplement our own terminal. Although, we were allocated off-dock terminal at Kirikiri Lighter Terminal recently but it is not enough for our need. It will be highly appreciated if NPA or the Federal Gpvernment can allocate additional off-dock terminals to us to meet our present needs. DDH: There is the constant allegation that more agencies than is necessary are operating in the ports. Do you still think so and which basic ones should remain while all the others should leave the ports? Chief Danjuma: Yes the allegation that there are more agencies than necessary operating in the ports is true. Their presence is causing a lot of delay in the final delivery of goods to the consignees. The following agencies are presently in the port, Nigerian Customs, Immigration, SSS, NDLEA, Police CID, Port Health, Plant Quarantine, NAFDAC, Standard Organization of Nigeria, Directorate of Naval Intelligence, Veterinary Quarantine, Anti Bomb Squad and Federal Environmental Protection Agency. But in my own opinion, the following agencies should remain in the port, Nigerian Customs, Immigration, Port Health, NDLEA and NAFDAC. Other agencies should leave the port environment; it is only when necessary that they may be called to attend to specific issues. DDH: As the Group Executive Chairman of the Comet Group of Companies, which includes Five Star Logistics Limited, how do you cope with the strain of coordination? Chief Danjuma: Ability to cope with any situation is by the Grace of God, the Bible says “not by might nor by power, but by my spirit - saith the Lord of Hosts”. When one depends on God in everything, God will strengthen and grant all the enablement to succeed. It is the Lord’s doing, God is my strength. So, with the help of God and my able, energetic, dynamic, brilliant, Group Managing Director on the wheel, and with the gift of dedicated managers in all the companies, I have no stress in coordinating the affairs of these companies. We are also talented with hard working and understanding members of staff, they are assets to our companies.
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Editorial
The scorecard on Nigerian seaport reforms It’s ten years since the Obasanjo’s presidency kick-started the search for better fortunes for Nigeria’s port industry. Once upon a time, the ports were a haven for wharf rats. No more. Ships then spent weeks in port to load and discharge. Stevedores were unruly, practicing the infamous “akube” system, where shipping lines paid for 16-men gangs but get 8 men instead. None could do anything about it for many years. The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) was then a glorified gang-up of port industry warlords. Former transport minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, shocked the nation when he exposed bags of money brought to him at night to soft-pedal the wheels of the reforms which started rolling during his tenure. Read more...
Other Articles &
Interviews: Capt Adeyemo on River Niger Dredging... Prof P.C. Nwilo on his assessment of NIWA during sabbatical ... Mr Nseyeng Ebong on his 8-year tenure as rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron... Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs as chairman of Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron, his vision... Engr Muyiwa Omasebi: The face-off Between NIWA, MMSD and Lagos State Govt. Otunba K Folarin: The Collapse of Nig. shipping lines. P.L. Carrodano: How govt can revive Nig. shipping lines. Sam Epia: The struggles of Nig shipping lines with cargo reservation scheme. Jeff Gibb: Intricacies of the equipment market in Nigeria. Environmental
Quality Monitoring. Role of Surveying in the Dredging Industry G.B Liman: Of Myth, Reality and Resource Control Dredging Law: A judgment on the ownership of a sand dredging site by the Court of Appeal. Dredging
Law: b.
NIWA public notice on Lagos State intervention in inland waterways regulation. |
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Efficient Dredge
Master Training 2. Firefighting and Protective Measures (including respiratory protection). For Dredge crews, Field and Technical workers. Class room lectures and Practical session at the Fire Bay. 3. Basic sea
survival techniques and the use of lifesaving equipment. Class
room lectures and Practical sessions at the standard swimming pool with
professional gear. |
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