The management of Intels Nigeria Limited Tuesday, said it was keen on finding an amicable solution to the cancellation of its vessel pilotage service contract by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) rather than resorting to court action.

Highlights:

• According to Vanguard, Intels General Manager, Legal, Mike Epelle said as a matter of policy, they would rather explore an amicable solution, stressing: “We don’t want to rush to court.”
• On the TSA issue, Epelle said Intels had not refused to remit into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), explaining that it wants its commission that was not paid into the account.
• He further explained that Intels was ready to pay NPA’s dues from the collection of pilotage service into the TSA after its deduction would have been made, a suggestion NPA objected to, insisting to have all collection paid and after reconciliation, Intels will receive its commission from Port Authority.
• He also said there were clauses in the agreement, for dispute resolution adding that NPA did not follow the mechanism before terminating the contract.
• He said: “We could pay into TSA but not the manner NPA wanted, we want to keep our commission and pay what is due to NPA. We told NPA to operate TSA that is objective and applicable.”
• He explained that before Intels got the contract, NPA was making a paltry sum of $6.5 million annually, but after Intels took it over, it made over $200 million in its first year adding that in another year, it made $210 million.

Reference:

• “It is clear that there is more to all these than the TSA issue” | Intels speaks on impasse with NPA.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram