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Nigeria: Reps Accuse Niger Dock of Importing Arms for Militants
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Leadership (Abuja)
31 July 2008
Posted to the web 31 July 2008
Philip Nyam
The House of Representatives has raised alarm over the alleged use of Niger Dock Nigeria Plc for illegal importation of arms and ammunition for militants in the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Hon Njidda Ahmed Gella who made the disclosure Wednesday while briefing newsmen in Abuja, also informed the press that the management of Niger Dock in collaboration with Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) locked out members of the committee from their premises, thereby preventing it from carrying out its oversight function on Tuesday, July 28, 2008.
According to Njidda, this act, coupled with a number of petitions against the company gives the committee good reasons to believe that Niger Dock PLC, a company that deals with ship building, repairs and fabrication, was involved in illegal activities. "The activities of Niger Dock PLC and Bureau of Public Enterprises, (BPE), on Tuesday 29th of July, 2008 presupposes that the allegations of illegal activities against them, including the use of the private jetty to import arms and ammunition for the militants in the Niger Delta among others in violation of the presidential order/directives prohibiting use and operation of private jetties for port operations other than that which the jetty is licensed for.
"It also violates the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA), the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Act, and the Security Act of the federal Republic of Nigeria."
The chairman lamented that Niger Dock served a notice of summons and a writ of summons to stop the committee from entering the premises adding that the court processes which was filed by Otunba Kayode Ogunjobi, Roug and Coy legal practitioners, was in bad faith.
Njidda alleged that for disallowing people from having entrance into their premises, Niger Dock was definitely indulging in illicit deals and would be sanctioned appropriately.
"The Dock management, in an attempt to prevent the committee from carrying out its oversight functions, produced a notice on Motion and a writ of summons filed on the 28th July 2008 to specifically stop the committee from carrying out its oversight visit scheduled for 29th July, 2008, Federal High Court, Lagos; suit number FHC/L/CS 4721/08.
The court process filed yesterday was only intended to halt the oversight works of the committee hence the case filed was in bad faith.
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"The committee was reliably informed at the premises of Niger Dock that since the company started operations, journalists and members of the public have never been allowed access to see and appreciate the activities of the company."
The chairman of the house should stop complaining,let the Government of Nigeria secure his board line and give Nigerian security and hope in thier own country.Security is not ment for the Government officials only but also for the common man in the country as well.Provide the necessary equipment and systematic measures to combat illigal trade in Nigeria.
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