Mr Pius Major, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, said that the Federal Government will henceforth sanction jetties operating outside the maritime rules.

Major said this in a message to a tripartite meeting of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), jetty operators and stevedoring companies held in Lagos.

The permanent secretary also urged all jetty operators to engage the services of stevedoring companies or be sanctioned. Major, who was represented by the Director of Maritime Services in the ministry, Alhaji Suleiman Nagogo, said the tripartite meeting became necessary due to unwholesome activities of some jetty operators.

“All operators must therefore ensure compliance with extant rules regarding jetty operations in line with international best practices,’’ Major said.

Major urged the private jetties’ operators to co-operate with the government to facilitate the streamlining of jetty operations without compromising the security of the country.

He said the private jetties could be likened to small ports where government approved vessels to berth and off- load imported goods to assist in decongesting the main ports.

According to him, this service will continue until the private jetties are concession. On the lingering feud between MRS Oil & Gas Company and Dock Management Nigeria Ltd, he said the management of MRS should address outstanding payment to the stevedoring company (Dock Management Ltd). He wondered why that the management of MRS had not settled the issue in spite of being told to do so at the last meeting in Abuja.

Major said that this was not in the interest of everybody and urged both parties to put the issue behind them and allow the ministry to forge ahead.  Mr Moshood Salvador, Chairman of Dock Management Ltd, said that jetty operators were becoming more rigid and should be educated to adhere to the laws guiding their operations.

Salvador suggested that the relevant authorities should also implement and enforce the laws guiding operations of jetties.

He alleged that MRS had only paid the sum of N11 million out of an outstanding N28 million owed his company. Salvador alleged that MRS, by its action, would throw about 20,000 dockworkers in Apapa to the streets.

The management of MRS, however, said that was working under the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulation Agency (PPPRA) template which restricted the payment of such fees for now.

An official of MR said that the firm did not need the stevedoring company (Dock Management Nigeria Ltd) for now. He said that MRS had a retinue of armed policemen and naval officers at its disposal.