By Godfrey BIVBERE

Honorary Secretary of the Institute of Marine Science and Technology (IMarEST), Mr. Alex Peters, has warned of great dangers ahead unless the Federal Government takes action on uncontrolled ship breaking and ship repair yards scattered along the coast line in Lagos, and other riverine areas in the country.

Peters, who spoke to SWEETCRUDE on the issue in Lagos, explained that illegal breaking and repair of vessels have environmental, atmospheric and aquatic effects, which in the long run will also affect residents living along the riverine areas.

He noted that other countries have designated yards where breaking and repair work on ships are carried out to protect the environment, adding that a lot of poison (chlorine) is emitted into the water through such uncontrolled activities.

He pointed out that apart from the pollutions from these activities; there is the danger of explosion during repairs of tanker vessels because there are substances that can lead to explosion.

The IMarEST boss said that the Federal Government decided to stop cooking of crude from which diesel is gotten, because of its effect on the environment and not the quality of the product that is gotten.

He stressed that as long as there is demand for ship breaking and repair services, these illegal yards will continue to operate until government move in to regularize their functions.

File photo

On the agencies of government responsible for the regulation of these functions, Peters identified them as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Lagos State Waterways Authority; and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

Meanwhile, an official of one of such facilities in Lagos who spoke to SWEETCRUDE in confidence disclosed that they are still in business because they regularly settle officials from government agencies who come to them at intervals.

He explained that there are times the government officials come down hard on them when complaints get to their offices, but like everything in Nigeria, they are soon let off the hook.

When contacted, General Manager in charge of Public Affairs, NPA, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, said it might not be true that the owners of those facilities are operating illegally, but however stressed the need for their operations to be regulated.

On whose duty it is to regulate their functions, Ebubeogu told SWEETCRUDE that he could not speak over the phone as there are issues that needed to be explained personally.

On his part, the Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations, NIMASA, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi, did not respond to SWEETCRUDE’s many enquiries on the issue. He requested that enquiries should be e-mailed to him, or sent by text message. But he did not respond to either

However, an official of NIMASA who spoke to SWEETCRUDE, confirmed that there is a department responsible for the regulation of ship breaking and repairs. He said that although a lot have been done in regulating the sector, there is the need for the provision of more platforms to enable them perform their functions effectively.