Skip to main content

NPA gives INTELS three months to quit ports


THE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has given the management of oil and gas logistics firm, Intels Nigeria Limited (INTELS), three months to round up and hand over the pilotage services to the authority.

This, it was learnt, was contained in a letter sent by the NPA to the company last week.

Addressing reporters in Lagos yesterday, NPA Managing Director Ms Hadiza Bala Usman said the termination of the Pilotage Agency Agreement (PAA) and the handing over became imperative because the company has allegedly refused to comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government.

NPA, she said, had in the last 14 months persuaded INTELS to comply with the extant law, but the company, she said, allegedly rebuked entireties made to it.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) had written to Ms Usman on September 27, directing her to terminate the boats pilotage monitoring and supervision agreement the NPA had with INTELS. The AGF said the contract violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic.

The NPA managing director, apart from saying the agreement with INTELS violates section Sections 80 (1) of the constitution, added that 28 per cent commission the company receives for the monitoring and supervision of pilotage services it handles on behalf of the agency on the nation’s territorial waters was costly.

But INTELS said the termination of the agreement was “clearly preposterous and the consequences highly injurious” to the interests of the country.

A letter signed by its director, Mr. Silvano Bellinato, said the position of NPA on the agreement may force INTELS to reconsider its multibillion dollar investment at the Badagry deep seaport in Lagos.He added that the investment has the potential of creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.

INTELS gave NPA seven days from last Wednesday, to reconsider the residual critical areas of their agreement and to agree, to the possible extent, on a common solution, failing which it shall head to arbitration.

The company alleged that the NPA is indebted to it to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

But the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) yesterday denied shutting INTELS office in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State over tax evasion.

In a statement, FIRS said: “What we did was that our team pasted a non-compliance sticker on the company’s premises.

“Such stickers are always pasted on the premises of companies that have not been complying with the company’s tax obligations:  (Value Added  Tax  Act  Cap VI, and Companies Income Tax, CIT Cap C21, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014, & Other Tax Laws.

“The non-compliance stickers are routine. We did not seal nor close the company. INTELS is free to carry out IRS operations. It is not a distrain sticker.”

INTELS Nigeria Limited was established 25 years ago with the vision to develop an integrated logistics solution, offering a complete package of facilities and services to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

Credit: Nation



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sen. Magnus Abe's Courageous Fight For Rivers Brick House

Ab e' Today Rivers people especially majority of faithful of the All Progressives Congress APC defied the heavy down pour in Port Harcourt to show solidarity for Sen. Magnus Abe and the direct primaries in the state which has been kicked against by the Rotimi Amaechi faction of the party in the state. This support which was massive and highly successful  buttressed the position of the over 148,000 people that caste  their votes on the direct primaries which held in the state on the 30th of September 2018. Rivers people on that   fateful day showed that they wanted the right man for the job in defiance of the foisting of an unknown candidate chosen from the blues to fly the flag of the party. The solidarity which the people of the state and APC members showed for the Ogoni born Senator has to be respected by the party unlike what is happening today where the party seems to be favouring the emergence of Tonye Cole all in the bid to please the former governor of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Support For GEJ: C C Okirie Commends PDP In Rivers State

A frontline politician in Rivers State Chief Chukwuma Chinwa Oikrie has commended the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers state under the leadership of Bro. Felix Obuah (Go Round) for the support the party has given to President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid. Chief Okirie made this known at Omoku Town the headquarters of Ogba/ Egbema / Ndoni local government area over the weekend when the Party opened the Campaign Office of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the LGA. While thanking the state Chairman for his support, Chief Okirie stated that with the support the President has received from the party in the state, there was even no need for him to come and campaign personally.   “With the tremendous support the people of the state have accorded the President, I think he should go and rest. It is even immaterial if he comes to campaign personally because the people of the state are behind him. We will give him the traditional 100% votes we have alway...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Stop Harassing Atiku’s Business Interests”- CC Okirie

A Port Harcourt based businessman and politician Chief Chukwuma C. Okirie has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria not to use or allow any of its agencies, parastatals or departments to be used in intimidating or harassing any business interest (s) of former vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. Chief CC Okirie who is also the National Coordinator of  Project AA a socio political group with wide follower-ship across the country said the former vice president of the country has sacrificed so much for democracy in the country and should not be subjected to any form of harassment due to his political ideology or aspiration. Chief Okirie who briefed newsmen during the meet the media chat with newsmen on the activities of his group PROJECT AA said it was high time Nigerians are allowed to speak their minds or aspire for any position of their choice without being witch hunted by authourities.  He lamented that some people who believe they have some people in particular...
Post a Comment
Read more