The conflict climaxing in the Nigerian Ports Authority finally cancelling lucrative pilotage contract it had entered with logistics giant, Intels last week, took a long time coming.

Aside the much publicised controversy over the Nigerian government’s Treasury Single Account and the failed bid by the NPA to get Intels to enroll into the scheme, PREMIUM TIMES also traced an old conflict on the monopoly enjoyed by the logistics company in handling oil and gas cargoes.

This newspaper has reviewed documents dating back to 2006 detailing a tumultuous relationship between the two parties and the policy rigmarole that complicated the business partnership.

In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported the raging feud between the two sides and the decision by the NPA to seek the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Below is a timeline of the titanic battle the parties have fought for over a year now.

BATTLE ONE: The war over TSA

On June 28, 2016, NPA wrote Intels directing it to transfer service boats pilotage revenue accruing to it to the maritime agency’s TSA account at the Central Bank of Nigeria. The letter followed a meeting the previous day on the matter by the two parties at the NPA headquarters in Lagos. The Authority reminded the logistics company that the TSA policy demands that revenues collected through commercial banks must immediately be swept into the relevant account in the CBN.

PREMIUM TIMES has not seen any record that Intels replied that correspondence.

Officials said there were several other meetings in 2016 between the two parties. Intels stood its grounds that it would not be able to comply with the TSA policy.

On January 16, 2017, the NPA wrote to the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, highlighting its efforts to get Intels to comply with government’s TSA policy and seeking advice on the way forward.”Intels should be made to cooperate and partner with the Authority to conclude the review of the agreement to ensure strict compliance with the Federal Government TSA policy so as to engender robust service boats revenue management that will increase revenue to Government,” the agency said in the letter.

On March 15 2017, the NPA wrote to Intels again pressing it to comply with the TSA policy.

On March 27, 2017, Intels replied, saying it was unable to comply with the TSA policy because it had loan commitments with some commercial banks guaranteed by the deposits.

The NPA, apparently angry, wrote Intels again on April 19, 2017, saying the government’s policy on TSA is “sacrosanct and must be complied with”.

Intels replied on May 5, 2017 insisting that going by the agreement it signed with the NPA, it would be difficult for it to comply with the government’s TSA policy.

Fed up with what an official described as Intels’ intransigence, the NPA wrote to the Attorney General again on May 31, 2017, seeking “professional legal advice” on how to handle the logistics company’s refusal to comply with a key policy of government.
On September 27, 2017, the Attorney General responded with a verdict, saying “the conflict between the Agreement (with Intels) and the TSA policy presents a Force Majeure event under the Agreement, and NPA should forthwith commence the process of issuing the relevant notices to Intels exiting the agreement which indeed was void ab initio.”

On October 10, 2017, the NPA terminated its contract with Intels based on the advisory from Attorney General Malami.

Intels fired back via an October 11, 2017 letter to NPA MD, Hadiza Bala Usman, issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the maritime agency to reverse the termination of the agreement or be ready to meet it in court.The ultimatum expires tomorrow, October 18, 2017.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/246504-timeline-battles-npa-atikus-intels-unfolded.html

Atiku.. ... one of them

modelmike7:
Atiku.. ...
one of them

what does one expect from from a corrupt ex costoms officer, who is so adept at cutting corners.

Atiku 2019

Even if atiku is caught robbing the CBN

Take it or leave it. the law in Nigeria is blind to those who serve the interest of the cabal. fall out with them and have them dig up things.
unfortunately, there is no businnes man in Nigeria without a dirty business life. they are all either evading tax, giving bribes to gain favours or flagrantly abusing the process for personal gain.

The day any government falls apart with Dangote is the day we will find out he became richest on our head. they are all guilty as charged.

NigerDeltan:
Atiku 2019
Even if atiku is caught robbing the CBN

why will you leave our biafran dreams for being an hausa fulani slaves?

The hunting dog who fails to heed d call of d hunter, will get lost!?


NPA via her chairman showed constitency of purpose, but intels played dumb. Reminds of ipob n d dancing python


Some nigerians need to realise some status quo are being reversed