Nigeria: The Escaped Toxic Waste Vessel

editorial

The end may not yet be in sight concerning the unfolding drama on the whereabouts of a foreign toxic waste vessel, MV Grande America. It was allegedly detained recently at the Ports and Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) section of the Tin Can Island Port Complex, Lagos. The new twist in the tale, however, is the claim by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) that the ship has escaped.

Faulting this claim are other Federal Government agencies at the port: the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Both maintain that only a court of competent jurisdiction can order the detention of a vessel, and not NESREA. Stressing this line of argument further, the PTML's spokesperson, Chris Ogbonna, asserted that there was no record of any ship that escaped from detention at the Tin Can Port. As far as he was aware, he said, the Customs Service has no statutory instrument for detaining any vessel.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.