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By Godwin Oritse

NIGERIAN Association of Stevedoring Companies, NASC, has accused the International Oil Companies, IOC, operating in Nigeria of putting on hold the engagement of dockworkers, apparently due to uncertainties over the upcoming election.

They are also ignoring registered stevedoring firms in their operations, NASC added. Speaking to Vanguard Maritime Report on the sideline of the just concluded 2019/2020 maritime forecast, President of the group, Bolaji Sunmola, said Vanguard Maritime Report that government appointed stevedores are not being engaged by the IOCs to the detriment of the economy as revenue accruable to government are not paid.

Sunmola hinted that the attitude of the IOCs may not be unconnected with the forthcoming elections. He said, “IOCs are slowing down the engagement of stevedoring firms because of elections, IOCs are deliberately delaying engagement process for stevedoring firms to start work on some platforms as directed by the law through the Nigerian Ports Authority.

“They are delaying their off-shore operations and denying government of accruable revenue. The attitude of the IOCs is sabotaging efforts of the Federal Government sanitizing off-shore cargo operations. They engage unregistered local community people in their host communities, a development that has a lot of security and safety implications.

“Each time you bring these issues to them, they threaten to shut down their operations in Nigeria or reduce their investment in the Joint Ventures Contract, JVC.”

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