SEVEN MONTHS AFTER: BUA Terminal Reopens $400m Facility For Operation, As Dockworkers Commend Buhari ‘s Intervention

Barely seven months of the shutdown by management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),operational activities at BUA Ports and Terminal in Port Harcourt port, Rivers State has commenced following intervention by the Federal Government.

The Government also directed both parties to resolve all outstanding issues in line with the concession agreement, discontinue the pending arbitration in London, and reopen the BUA terminals immediately.

Recall that in 2019, NPA issued a notice of termination to BUA Ports and Terminals, concessionaires of the Rivers Ports Terminal B in a move that BUA said was illegal and ran contrary to the concession agreement.

The NPA had given the management of BUA Group the go-ahead to open its $400m Ports and Terminal facility after shelving the seven-month-long dispute between the two parties.

The company, in a statement on Wednesday, disclosed that it was re-opening the port terminal immediately for operations.

The management of BUA said that it received an official directive from the ports authority and all parties had been advised to respect the conditions in the concession agreement of the facility.

BUA reiterated its commitment to the project, saying it had put in place structures to develop a best-in-class terminal at the Rivers port to serve not only users of the port but also the recently constructed $400m food manufacturing complex adjacent to the terminal.

The statement said, “We are pleased to inform our stakeholders and the public that we have received official communication to that effect on the notice of termination issued by the Nigerian Port Authority sometimes last year against our River Ports-based BUA Ports and Terminal to be withdrawn forthwith.

“The ongoing arbitration at the London Court of International Arbitration be discontinued and BUA terminals be re-opened immediately for operations.

“This decision is in line with our earlier and consistent stand that all parties respect the content and the spirit of the concession agreement of the facility.

“We also want to thank unequivocally – our dear customers, employees, dockworkers, and other stakeholders for your patience, support, and keeping faith with us throughout this period.”

BUA said it remained a law-abiding corporate citizen and was looking forward to working with the management of NPA in resolving any outstanding issues and making Eastern ports one of the best in the country.

The company emphasised that it was looking forward to kick-starting operations at its terminals to once again provide the excellent services that had become its trademark.

Earlier last year, the management had described the stoppage of the commissioning of BUA Ports and Terminal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State as a threat to the Federal Government’s policy of ease of doing business in the country, following the NPA’s stance on the commissioning of the ports terminal.

However,the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Dockworkers Branch at the Rivers Port, on Friday, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to due process, which has led to reopening BUA Terminal shut down last year by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, a move challenged by BUA at the time, and decried by maritime stakeholders.

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The workers in their numbers took to the docks of Port Harcourt to thank key stakeholders for their timely intervention in the crisis between the BUA Ports and Terminals and the NPA, which rendered business activities at the terminal B void.

Addressing the dockworkers at the rally, Waite Harry, a national trustee of the dockworkers’ branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, praised the President for his commitment to due process, which ultimately led to the withdrawal of the notice of termination issued to BUA Ports & Terminals, in line with the concession agreement.

According to Harry, “this action has saved the jobs of many dockworkers whose only source of livelihood comes from working here.

“The resolution of the crisis has changed our status from being ‘prisoners of hope’ due to untold hardship dockworkers faced over the inability of ships to berth at the BUA terminals.

“We must also appreciate the management of BUA Ports & Terminals who continued to support us monthly throughout this period.

“We are happy that we can now return back to our work through this gesture by the Federal Government, which will also bring economic prosperity to the state and the nation in general.

“I hope that all outstanding issues can now be resolved by both parties amicably.”

By Roland Ekama