By Godwin Oritse

THE Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has said that it will continue to berth vessels at the Warri while carrying out reconstruction works on the Escravos breakwaters.

In a statement signed by the Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, it assured stakeholders that the survey and mapping of the channel are at the conclusive stages of securing relevant approvals for the best financing option to fund the reconstruction of the infrastructure.

The NPA  boss also said that the Authority has put mitigants in place to ensure safe berthing of legally operating    vessels in the spirit of trade facilitation.

He stated further: “An up-to-date local and international training, simulation and maneuverability competence with a view to building a team of highly experienced pilots of ensure zero incidence of vessels running aground and enabled the safe berthing of inbound vessels MT Zonda and MT Stellar and outbound vessel MT Duke, MT Vardar and MT Igbinosa, with six (6) vessels at anchorage outbound and inbound for Bonny Island, Koko and Escravos.

“Taking cognizant of peculiarities of the Warri channel, the Authority had procured and installed adequate buoys for Warri, realigned the entrance buoys, docked and reclassified vessels, stipulated frequent simulation training and retraining for all the pilotage crew to enable them respond to the exigencies of the channel.

“‘The occasional reported incidences of vessels running aground cannot impede the channel as they are vessels operating illegally without NPA Marine Pilots onboard, and ran aground only because they veered off the channel and safety marked areas due to incompetence”.