‘INTELS, LADOL at war over $3.8bn FPSO project’

The outgoing Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Habib Abdullahi has identified the $3.8billion Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) project as the major factor responsible for the ongoing face-off between Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS) and Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL).

Speaking to newsmen in a chat on Saturday, July 9th, 2016, three days before his removal from office, Abdullahi explained that the dispute between the two companies if not handled properly is capable of diverting foreign investments recorded in the maritime sector to other countries.

He also used the opportunity to dismiss allegation of bias levelled against him in some quarters.

According to him, “I’m guided by national interest. The contract is at the centre of the dispute. This is a private project. An open bid was conducted. A winner emerged.  The idea of if I don’t get it nobody else will is wrong”.

“All the decisions we took concerning the project are in national interest. We did not reverse ourselves. Some decisions were taken in the past based on wrong information.

“A letter from BPE was forged. NPA wrote to BPE and was properly guided. How can you say all Oil & Gas related cargoes must go to a particular place? You say a particular place is not suitable for a particular project, yet, you are putting up investment at that location for a similar project?

Abdullahi, who spoke on sundry issues explained that NPA’s major priority is to increase revenue and support effort of the Federal Government to diversify the economy and create numerous jobs for Nigerians.

According to him, the EGINA project will create a lot of jobs for Nigerians when completed.

The $3.8 billion platform otherwise known as Egina project was awarded to Samsung Heavy Industry (SHI) in 2013 to build a world class oil production platform in Nigeria with LADOL  acting as the local content partner.