By Ignatius Ushie
The Federal Ministry of Transportation has disclosed its intention to shut down the Chevron Warri Jetty within two weeks following overt disregard by Chevron Nigeria Limited to hinder stevedore services in disregard of extant laws and standard procedures.
In a statement made available to Transport Day in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, who made this known at a meeting between Chevron Nigeria Limited, Bena-Franco, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) at the Ministry in Abuja, stated that the Ministry of Transportation has the mandate to guide activities going on in the maritime sector and will act accordingly to protect that at all times.
In this regard, Ajani informed representatives of Chevron that the NPA as the master stevedore has assigned a stevedore company in the last two years to the Warri jetty and have been denied access by Chevron despite all efforts by NPA.
According to her, Chevron has also avoided all meetings by Federal Ministry of Transportation & National Stevedore association to resolve this matter. She advised that it will be in their best interest to grant Bena – Franco access to the jetty.
She said “You have the next two weeks to register this stevedore that has been assigned to you by the Federal Government of Nigeria to oversee what goes on at that jetty.”
She noted that failure to comply within the next two weeks will leave the Ministry with no option than to shut operations at the Warri jetty.
