Delta Ports Concessionaires owe FG N27bn —NPA

The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently being owed N27 billion by Delta Ports Complex, one of the four ports under the Eastern ports.

The debt, which covers a period between January 2006, to August 2016, is part of the revenue that is supposed to have accrued into the coffers of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from the various concessionaires operating the Delta ports on behalf of government.

According to a presentation made by the General Manager, Eastern Ports of the NPA, Abdullahi Goje, when the Senate Committee on Marine Transport visited the Eastern ports on oversight function over the weekend; the NPA has only been able to collect N11, 925, 467, 088 into government coffers from the various ports concessionaires from January 2006 to August 2016.

The presentation, which was obtained exclusively by the Nigerian Tribune, revealed that the Delta Ports Complex amassed a total of $635, 784, 102.02 between January 2006 to August 2016 as revenue generated. The port also generated N9, 469, 923, 782.30 as part of revenue generated in local currency between the period under review (January 2006-August 2016).

However, the NPA has only been able to collect $126, 805, 128.15 from the total revenue generated in between the periods under review, while also collecting just N6, 029, 028, 638.38 out of the total revenue generated in local currency.

Available statistics revealed that the NPA is currently being owed $508, 978, 974 by the various ports concessionaires operating at the Delta ports, while debt in local currency stands at N3, 440, 895, 146 all for the period under review.

So far, the total sum of revenue collected into government coffers by the NPA is N11, 925, 467, 088, a figure that represents the summation of the $126, 805, 128.15 and N6, 029, 028, 638.38 revenue collected.

It will be recalled that in 2006, the Federal Government concessioned the Delta Ports Complex alongside other ports in the country as part of the port reform exercise.

The ports concessionaires that took over the running of the Delta Ports Complex are Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) Nigeria Limited. The terminal operator controls the Old Warri Port terminal A with a total area of 70,866.3m square and the New Warri Port terminal B with a total area of 59,507.5m square.

Another port concessionaire at the Delta Ports Complex is Julius Berger Nigeria Services. The terminal operator controls the terminal C inside the Old Warri port with a total area of 6773.1m square.

The third port concessionaire at the Delta Ports Complex is Associated Maritime Services. The terminal operator controls the terminal A of the new Warri port with a total area of 40,500m square.