Business
THE users of the Rivers Port in Port Harcourt have appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to reverse his decision to stop operations as a result of COVID-19 Lockdown and lamented the attendant loss of revenue and perishable consignments.
Wike had periodically imposed a total lockdown on the state as part of the government’s strategy to curtail the spread of COVID-19 infections in Port Harcourt City Local Government and Obio/Akpor Areas of the state since last month.
The governor, who has attracted endless criticism for his strict enforcement of the lockdown, which last weekend led to the demolition of two hotels, however, refused to classify port operations as essential services contrary to the guidelines issued by the Presidential Task Force of COVID-19.
Speaking in an interview with The Cable, Daniel Kanu of the Africa International Agencies said that the vessel transporting his consignment of 4500 Metric tons of Frozen Mackerel Fish worth 6 million euros have been unable to berth at the Rivers Port for about two weeks, a situation for which his company risks the loss of the entire consignment.
“Even if we get the consignment out now, we already would have lost half of our investment because the fish has lost quality and we have no sell for the standard price. That is not to speak of the demurrage that we have to pay to ship owners for keeping their vessels longer than expected. We pay demurrage of $7800 per day,“ Kanu informed.
He explained further that this same vessel had called in and discharged cargo at the Lagos Ports before coming into Port Harcourt, but the refusal of Gov. Wike to classify port workers as being on essential duty unlike Lagos, has brought activities to a standstill.
Another consignee, Otunba Olufemi MacJulius of Fejidam Shipping Services, said that the vessel carrying his bulk cargo of Wheat is waiting at neighbouring Bonny because it has been unable to approach Port Harcourt as a result of the lockdown.
“We pay a demurrage of $15,000 every day because the vessel is not able to berth as a result of the fact that port workers, including pilots and stevedores cannot come to work out of fear of arrest and detention if not prosecution by the Rivers State Government.”
They appealed to the governor to reconsider his position about port operations not just as a means of saving their investments, but to ensure food security in the state and protect port workers and their dependants for starvation.
– May 13, 2020 @ 16:05 GMT |
Tags: Port users in Rivers state appeal to Gov. Wike to review status of port operations in Port Harcourt
