113 tanker have been banned from operating in Nigerian waters
Intertanko has protested against Nigeria’s recent decision to ban 113 tankers from its coast.
Nigeria’s state oil company NNPC has recently issued a directive notifying that the vessels, consisting mainly of VLCC crude oil tankers, cannot operate in Nigerian waters.
The directive issued by NNPC president Muhammadu Buhari on July 15th, 2015 was circulated in a letter including also the list of the banned vessel but not the reason for this decision. Traders believe this is a measure to stop illegal trading.
In a letter to Gbenga O. Komolafe, group general manager, crude oil marketing division of NNPC, Intertanko general counsel Michael White wrote, “Intertanko protests in the strongest possible way that these bans should be lifted with immediate effect until grounds and evidence for the ban have been given to each vessel and vessel owner/operator, and the owner/operator has had an opportunity to respond.”
It noted that no reference was given to policies and requirements relating to the ban or evidence of why individual vessels had been banned.
The letter added: “Many of these vessels have not traded to Nigeria for a number of years; some have never been there. So their owners/operators find it difficult to understand what policies/requirements they have infringed.”
