Sir, kindly spare me a space in your widely read newspaper to express my view in response to an expose published on front page of Daily Trust of 20th September, 2021.
NPA/Intels Pilotage contract is one of the widely discuss issues among the Maritime practitioners in recent time. It has however become a topic of controversy looking at the caliber of the protagonist and antagonists on the conflicting interests.
The protagonist is the suspended MD of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala who’s passion was to ensure the Authority works excellently and revenue generated appropriately. Thus, the immediate initiation of tender process to fill in the gap created by the exit of Intels. As a stakeholder, I am aware that names of pre-qualified companies have been sent to the Ministry of Transportation for further action as required by the Procurement Act.
Intels, a former NPA contractor on Pilotage Monitoring which has been engaged for over two decades and of course because of government laxity over the years, Intels has taken the whole thing with an entitlement mentality that no other company will be engaged even when their contract has expired in August, 2020 and process of engaging new contractors almost completed.
Meanwhile, to put record straight, as at the time of submission of applications for the expression of interest, there was no subsisting contract between NPA and Intels that may necessitate initiation of court action or maintaining of status-quo.
Therefore, the loss of the said revenue is as a result of (1) Non adherence to the Procurement Act, Cap P.44. (2) Tactical delay implores by the NPA to always attribute failure to engage new contractors to the court case initiated by the former contractor.
As an exponent of fair play, President Buhari should as a matter of public interest request that all bidding document sent to the office the Hon. Minister of Transport by the NPA be forwarded to the appropriate quarter for consideration, as the pre-qualified companies are Nigerian companies who have being part of the development of Service Boat Operations.
Tijjani Abdul writes from Apapa, Lagos
