The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency on Friday blocked access to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company in Bonny, Rivers State over the latter’s alleged refusal to pay the statutory three per cent levy of every freight entering or leaving the country through the nation’s territorial waters.
NIMASA said in a statement by its Acting Director, Shipping Development, Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, that it took the action in response to NLNG’s refusal to pay levies based on gross freight on exports and imports.
The statement reads, “Today at about 11.30hrs, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency using GlobalWest Vessels Specialist platforms blocked off access to the Bonny Channel from the Fairway buoy, at the beginning of the channel to Buoys 17 and 18.
“By this blockade, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas vessels operating in the area are neither permitted to leave nor enter the area until all statutory obligations are met.
“This course of action ahs been forced on the agency by the NLNG’s disregard and demonstrated unwillingness to abide by the country’s maritime laws, especially sections of the NIMASA Act that mandates payment of levies based on gross freight on exports and imports and the Cabotage law.
“Since its inception, the NLNG has cherry-picked our laws. All efforts to get the management to meet its obligations to Nigeria have been treated with impunity.
“While the NLNG is bruited as one of the crown jewels on the nation’s hydrocarbon industry, its habitual violation of and the utter contempt for all our laws, is unbecoming of a company of its status.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our action is carefully planned to avoid loss of lives or damage to property. The ongoing blockade is limited to NLNG vessels and other vessels lifting gas on its behalf.”
The General Manager, External Relations, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said, “NIMASA claimed we owe some debts. NIMASA is part of government and we believe government is an entity that respects the rule of law. There is a law which guides what we pay as that law is the NLNG Act. NLNG will always pay within the limit if that law. NIMASA has approached us and we have told them that if we pay outside the Act, they will be asking us to involve in illegality. If there is a misunderstanding of the law, NIMASA should go to the interpreter of the law which is the court.”
He said further, “Nigeria LNG is export oriented and our commitment is to our international buyers. There will be serious reputational issues that will arise if the outside world knows that an arm of government has blocked NLNG.”