The Federal Ministry of Transportation has disclosed its intention to shut down the Chevron Warri Jetty within two weeks following continued disregard by Chevron Nigeria Limited to grant stevedore services access to the Jetty regardless of extant laws and standard procedures.
Speaking in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani said while meeting, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Bena-Franco, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) that the ministry of Transportation has the mandate to guide activities going on in the maritime sector and will act accordingly to protect that at all times.
Ajani informed representatives of Chevron that the Nigerian Ports Authority as the master stevedore has assigned a stevedore company in the last two years to the Warri jetty and have been denied access by Chevron despite all efforts by NPA.
She said Chevron within the period has avoided all meetings by Federal Ministry of Transportation & National Stevedore association to resolve this matter.
“You have the next two (2) week to register this stevedore that has been assigned to you by the Federal Government of Nigeria to oversee what goes on at that jetty” .
According to a statement by Henshaw Ogubike, Ajani expressed concern over the inability of representatives of Chevron Nigeria Limited to substantiate the status of operating license for the jetty.
She concluded that failure to comply within the next two weeks will leave the Ministry with no option than to shut operations at the Warri jetty.
