A maritime expert, Eugene Nweke, has called for a comprehensive review of about 300 containers of power equipment reportedly stranded at Nigerian ports for 20 years.

Mr Nweke, head of research at Sea Empowerment and Research Centre, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the equipment required urgent assessment, rather than being treated as abandoned cargo or subjected to routine customs auction.

His call followed the federal government’s consideration of tougher measures against contractors allegedly responsible for abandoning the equipment, Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service, said.

Mr Adeniyi had said the government was considering sanctions, including blacklisting contractors who allegedly collected full payment for critical power equipment but abandoned more than 300 containers of the imported items at Nigerian seaports for over 20 years.

Mr Nweke said the consignments were reportedly imported through a contractor under a government-facilitated arrangement for public purposes, making their prolonged stay at the ports a matter of national interest.

He urged the government to establish each container’s ownership, contents, condition and customs status and determine whether the equipment remained serviceable and suitable for its original purpose.

He also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the consignments, including previous interventions involving overtime cargo at Nigerian ports.

The SEREC official recalled an incident between 2010 and 2011 when an auction committee inadvertently included containers containing similar equipment in an auction exercise.

The containers, he said, were subsequently traced and recovered through the intervention of the NCS Enforcement Unit, highlighting the need for proper identification and inter-agency coordination.

Mr Nweke called for reconciliation of outstanding freight, handling charges, demurrage and other claims by shipping lines and terminal operators. He said authorities should identify the parties responsible for the delay and establish the basis for accumulated charges.

Mr Nweke added that shipping lines and terminal operators should consider waivers or negotiated settlements in the national interest. He also said the contractor involved should be included in the accountability process, alongside customs, shipping lines, terminal operators and relevant government agencies.

The expert recommended verifying the equipment, assessing its serviceability, reconciling outstanding charges and determining the responsibilities of all parties.

Mr Nweke commended the government’s intervention but said its success should be measured by whether public assets were accounted for, commercial claims resolved and port operations improved.

President Bola Tinubu had directed the immediate clearance of more than 300 containers of electricity equipment stranded at Nigerian ports for between 14 and 20 years over unpaid charges and unresolved customs procedures.

Power minister Olasunkanmi Tegbe announced after a Federal Executive Council meeting in October that Mr Tinubu had directed the ministry to work with relevant agencies to resolve outstanding issues and facilitate the equipment’s release.

The agencies include the Nigerian Ports Authority and the NCS, which will work to resolve outstanding issues and facilitate the equipment’s release.

(NAN)