₦airaland Forum

CONTROVERSY is currently trailing the continuous issuance of bunkering permit by the Nigerian Navy, a development stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry have described as an aberration.

Speaking to Vanguard at the on-going Lagos International Maritime Week, Commodore Igbani Agwu, General Manager, Planning of the Nigerian Navy, said that the Navy had to come to issuance of bunkering permit because the space had to be regulated because of the unwholesome activities being experienced in that sector.

Agwu also said that the Navy had to come into the issuance of bunkering permit because Nigeria is the only country in the world where oil theft occurs, hence the Naval intervention.

However, some stakeholders who spoke to Vanguard debunked the claims by the Navy saying that crude oil theft occurs all over the world but that the Navies of other countries are not involved in the commercial activities of their shipping industries.

A member of the Nigerian Ship Owners Association, NISA, who pleaded anonymity, said that Nigerian Navy’s involvement in the issuance of bunkering permit can only be permissible in Nigeria because of the entrenched interest the Navy as an institution has in commercial shipping activities.

The NISA member also said that oil theft takes place in Mexico, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Cameroon, Sudan and other parts of the world.

Also commenting, the President of the Nigerian Master Mariners Association, Capt Tajudeen Alao, argued that before the Nigerian Navy started the issuance of bunkering permit, the Nigeria Customs Service was solely in charge of such issuance.

Alao explained that the Navy got involved because of the abuse of the entire process of issuing bunkering permits and approvals adding that the Navy is also put in charge of economic breaches on the nation’s waters.

He said: “The process of issuing bunkering approval is not an easy procedure. The approval is first given to the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, who in turn sends the approval to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Navy in Abuja before permit is finally granted to the applicant,

“I agree that there is oil theft in some parts of the world but our own situation is worse than what is obtainable elsewhere. All those areas you just mention do not have creeks like we have in Nigeria. Even with the kind of measure the government has put in place, oil theft is still going on, oil pipelines are still being broken.

“Crude oil theft is an international crime, because it is big business and the people involved are ready to invest anything, money, blackmail in order to achieve their aim’’.

A British Navy officer, Commander Dan Wiskett told Vanguard that the British Navy is not in any way involved in the commercial activities of his country.

Agwu also said that the Navy had to come into the issuance of bunkering permit because Nigeria is the only country in the world where oil theft occurs, hence the Naval intervention.



A member of the Nigerian Ship Owners Association, NISA, who pleaded anonymity, said that Nigerian Navy’s involvement in the issuance of bunkering permit can only be permissible in Nigeria .

DevilsEqual:




This sums up everything about Nigeria

Its not about the FG....An average Nigerian is extremely corrupt

TouchNfollow:
Controversy trails Navy’s issuance of bunkering license

.We are not involved in commercial activities — British Navy





https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/09/controversy-trails-navys-issuance-of-bunkering-license/#google_vignette

AntiChristian:


Where is the minister of Marine something something sef?

SmartyPants:
This is not inherently wrong if it is being doing within a formal legal framework. It's not relevant whether or not other countries do so too. We need Nigerian solutions for Nigerian challenges.

DevilsEqual:




This sums up everything about Nigeria

Its not about the FG....An average Nigerian is extremely corrupt

DevilsEqual:




This sums up everything about Nigeria

Its not about the FG....An average Nigerian is extremely corrupt

A British Navy officer, Commander Dan Wiskett told Vanguard that the British Navy is not in any way involved in the commercial activities of his country.

Brendaniel:
See how this one is reasoning, they are stealing your natural resources away and you are justifying it just because you want to support Tinubu's government, do you know how much Nigeria loses daily to bunkering?

You guys are so engrossed in politics that you sometimes forget to be human beings...

SmartyPants:
This is not inherently wrong if it is being doing within a formal legal framework. It's not relevant whether or not other countries do so too. We need Nigerian solutions for Nigerian challenges.

DevilsEqual:




This sums up everything about Nigeria

Its not about the FG....An average Nigerian is extremely corrupt

However, some stakeholders who spoke to Vanguard debunked the claims by the Navy saying that crude oil theft occurs all over the world but that the Navies of other countries are not involved in the commercial activities of their shipping industries.

“I agree that there is oil theft in some parts of the world but our own situation is worse than what is obtainable elsewhere. All those areas you just mention do not have creeks like we have in Nigeria. Even with the kind of measure the government has put in place, oil theft is still going on, oil pipelines are still being broken.

SmartyPants:
I've observed you're not too clever, so your misguided comment doesn't surprise me, but you can manage by being more attentive. In this article, you were told that the Nigerian Customs Service routinely issues licenses for bunkering, which should have made you understand that there is illegal bunkering and there is legal bunkering. The point of this article is whether it is proper for the Navy to grant such licenses as opposed to the Customs Service. There is no illegal act here.

Slow minds should read the above thrice please. The more clever ones may wish to gain a better understanding by reviewing this page:

https://www.nuprc.gov.ng/fg-lifts-embargo-on-oil-bunkering-operations/

Originalsly:
Would you support the Navy issuing fishing permits to foreign trawlers since illegal fishing is taking place by foreign vessels in our waters?