By Emmanuel Uffot
Hajia Usman, Managing Director of Nigeria Port Authority, NPA has been commended for approving the clean-up of oil spill at the Federal Oceans Terminal Onne. The commendation was made by the Acting Port Mrs. Barbara Nchey-Achukwu, the Onne Port Manager, during the commencement of the clean up exercise at the Port recently by personnel of the Environment Department of the maritime Authority. Mrs Nchey-Achukwu who represented the Port Manager Alhassan Abubakar at the occasion said the Port Manager was aware of the various complaints from terminal operators in view of the oil pollution within the water channel of the port. She said the clean-up exercise shows the NPA as an organisation that cares given the loud complaints by vessel owners that the spill was staining their vessel hauls, stressing that with the development, there would be no more complaints of such. ” I know after this exercise, terminal operators will no longer complain to Onne Port Management of stains on their anchored vessels”.
Explaining the exercise, the General Manager of Engineering Department of NPA Engineer I.S. Abdulbaki said his team was in Onne to clean up the water channels on the MDs mandate, stressing that though they could not ascertain the actual cause of the oil spills at the Port, but suspected activities oil bunkers and waste from the communities emptying into the water channels.
He said as part of the exercise, the unit responsible for the clean up exercise has embarked on awareness campaign to sensitise and raise the consciousness of the people on the need for clean waters to sustain aquatic life and navigation.
Similarly, the Assistant General Manager, Environment Department Khadijat Sheidu-Shabi explained further that NPA decided to carry out the clean-up operation not only to meet the yearnings of port operators but to improve the quality of the water channels at the port. ” As an Authority, we are proud to show commitment to improving the navigational water channels within Onne Port”, Sheidu-Shabi stated.
Also speaking at the commencement of the Onne Port oil spill clean up, Uchenna Chukwuemeka, Principal Manager and Coordinator of Onne Port water channel clean-up exercise listed the channels that have been deployed to ensure a hitch-free clean up to include, Bio-degradable materials, Remediation Products and Pressure washers for removal of oil stains on the quay walls. He said the team is also using scooping nets within the Onne Port water channels to remove floating debris, cans and seloteen bags within the Onne water channel
Mr James Edet, the Manager in charge of Pollution, Onne Port who was also present at the kick start of the exercise described the team as passionate and professional and committed to delivering clean and safe water within the Port channel. ” We are set to achieve green port status at Onne Port water channel”, he said.
The clean-up exercise was approved by the managing director of NPA after several complaints by users of the Port the lingering oil spill in the water ways of the Port was affecting them. And they have therefore commended the MD of NPA for promptly responding to their complaints.
