NPA Boss Seeks FG Lifting of 14 Days Detention Order on Ships
The Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, Wednesday expressed concerns on the presidential directive that vessels coming into Nigeria should be quarantined for 14 days as part of the measures to check the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The order was given by President Muhammadu Buhari during the first 14 days coronavirus lockdown involving Lagos, Ogun and FCT Abuja.
However, Usman appealed for the reversal of the decision on the occasion of a webinar titled, Covid-19 And The Nigerian Maritime Sector: Lessons And The Way forward” , adding that the ideal thing was for crew members to be quarantined and not ships.
Calling on the federal government to be “dynamic, open, engage with stakeholders” , she said movement of vessels was based on advisor from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the apex world maritime agency.
She said, “We need to remain at alert, conscious and dynamic enough to go with the flow however it goes. But importantly to ensure that the gateway to the economy is to ensure that the ports remain open, recognising that the flow of infection into the country is not the vessel that has the infection as it were. It is not to detain vessels.
“Some of the submissions that we have had from the Presidential Task Force around having vessels wait for 14 days from any country that has above 1,000 infection. We have been engaging with the PTF to lift that because almost every sub-region has passed these numbers, so we cannot say vessels should now stay for an additional 14 days. This is a big concern that has been ongoing with shipping companies.
“I keep saying that it is better for us to have those around the crew because the crew could be the ones that have any form of infection as it were, and ports health and NCDC have the necessary protocol applicable to that.
“So in line with the IMO submission where it is clear that member states should ensure that vessels are given the necessary free passage into and out of ports, we all need to live into that and convince the Presidential Task Force and indeed convince all stakeholders that priority should be given for vessels to come in and out as required.
“We already have some challenges, so we should not put in place additional barriers to prevent this inflow into our ports”.
The webinar which was was organised by Mike Igbokwe Law firm had notable industry stakeholders who took part.
The order was given by President Muhammadu Buhari during the first 14 days coronavirus lockdown involving Lagos, Ogun and FCT Abuja.
However, Usman appealed for the reversal of the decision on the occasion of a webinar titled, Covid-19 And The Nigerian Maritime Sector: Lessons And The Way forward” , adding that the ideal thing was for crew members to be quarantined and not ships.
Calling on the federal government to be “dynamic, open, engage with stakeholders” , she said movement of vessels was based on advisor from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the apex world maritime agency.
She said, “We need to remain at alert, conscious and dynamic enough to go with the flow however it goes. But importantly to ensure that the gateway to the economy is to ensure that the ports remain open, recognising that the flow of infection into the country is not the vessel that has the infection as it were. It is not to detain vessels.
“Some of the submissions that we have had from the Presidential Task Force around having vessels wait for 14 days from any country that has above 1,000 infection. We have been engaging with the PTF to lift that because almost every sub-region has passed these numbers, so we cannot say vessels should now stay for an additional 14 days. This is a big concern that has been ongoing with shipping companies.
“I keep saying that it is better for us to have those around the crew because the crew could be the ones that have any form of infection as it were, and ports health and NCDC have the necessary protocol applicable to that.
“So in line with the IMO submission where it is clear that member states should ensure that vessels are given the necessary free passage into and out of ports, we all need to live into that and convince the Presidential Task Force and indeed convince all stakeholders that priority should be given for vessels to come in and out as required.
“We already have some challenges, so we should not put in place additional barriers to prevent this inflow into our ports”.
The webinar which was was organised by Mike Igbokwe Law firm had notable industry stakeholders who took part.
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