The Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAGF) has queried the Nigerian Ports Authority over the failure of 18 port terminal operators to remit total sums of $753m and N1.61bn to the Federal Government.
These operators are the Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, Delta Port, Rivers Port Complex, Onne Port Complex and Calabar Port Complex.
A query issued by the office, which is contained in its report being considered by the Committees on Public Accounts in the National Assembly, said the amounts formed part of the debts standing against the operators as of December 31, 2019.
The OAGF, in the ‘Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year Ended 31st December 2019,’ said the operators were indebted to the government to the tune of $852.094m and N1,878,560,509.57.
The query added that, “Agreements signed between NPA and various Terminal Operators state that a fixed annual payment of a sum as specified in the schedule below to be paid in (12) equal instalments in each operating year, the first instalment to be paid on the first day of the month after the effective date and then, on the same date of every month thereafter.”
However, the NPA management, in its response sent to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts, stated that the original debt owed the government by the operators stood at $852.093m and N1.878 billion.
The NPA stated in its presentation to the committee that out of the amount, $753m and N1.609bn had not been paid by the operators.
The query listed the operators and their debt profile to include APM Terminal, Apapa ($562.060 million), Apapa Bulk Terminal ($4,621.20), ENL Consortium ($957,020.77), Greenview Development ($20,750,443.65) and Standard Flour Mills ($893.77).
Others are Intels Nigeria Limited, operators of Terminal A at the Delta Ports Complex ($2,429,382.80); Intels Nigeria Limited, operators of Terminal B of the Delta Ports Complex ($4,589,576.75); Associated Maritime Services ($328,027.64), and Greenleigh Ports Nigeria Limited ($1,734,492.41).
The rest are BUA Ports and Terminal Limited ($12,254,424.55), Port and Terminal Operators Nigeria Limited ($107,311,506.46), Brawal Shipping Nigeria Limited ($226,541.72), Intels Nigeria Limited at Onne Port Complex ($430,404.81), Intels Nigeria Limited also at Onne Port ($670,954.72), Intels Nigeria Limited also at the Onne Port ($1,928,250.44), Shoreline Logistics ($1,181,023.57).
However, six of the 24 companies listed on the document, namely Port Terminal Multi Services Limited, Eko Support Services, Port and Cargo Handling Company, Joseph Dam Port Service Nigeria Limited, Julius Berger Services Nigeria Limited and Ecomarine Terminal, did not have any outstanding debt listed against them by the NPA.