The Calabar Channel Management Limited (CCML) has said that the dredging of the Calabar Port channel was duly approved by the Federal Government.
The project which is a joint venture (JV) between the Federal Government through Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and some private investors within and outside the country is similar to the ones handling Lagos channels and Bonny channel, Lagos Channel Management Limited (LCM) and Bonny Channel Management Limited (BCC), respectively.
LCM and BCC have over the years ensured that Lagos and Bonny channels remain navigable for ocean going vessels destined to the ports situated in Lagos and the Eastern part of the country.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CCM, Bart Van Eenoo said that there was no iota of truth in the allegations against the firm by its detractors.
Giving an insight into how the firm got the approval for the project and started its execution, Eenoo said in January 2012, the Federal Ministry of Transport via a correspondence with reference number T.0160/S.107/IX/562 sought presidential approval to allow NPA to partner with Messer’s Niger Global Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NGET) for the management and maintenance of the Calabar Channel.
According to him, on November 6, 2012 in a correspondence reference number PRES/99/MT/127 Presidential approval of the JV between NPA and NGET which gave rise to Calabar Channel Management was conveyed to the NPA. A JV agreement between the NPA and the Messer’s Niger Global Engineering and Technical Company which is a 15 year channel management agreement was subsequently signed on July 25, 2013.
Eenoo who was hitherto the Managing Director/CEO of BCC explained that under the agreement the NPA and Niger Global Company resolved to establish a limited liability company known as Calabar Channel Management to perform the statutory duties of the authority in the capital and maintenance dredging.
Other components of the contract include quarterly bathymetric survey, buoy maintenance and surveillance, wreck removal, visual pollution monitoring and reporting, planning and management of the maintenance dredging operations in Calabar channel.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.