A Sierra Leonean company,
Prima Maritime Logistics Consultancy & Services Limited is seeking the intervention of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) to recover $876, 462 allegedly owed it
by Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited
for the tow of Ngol Dande 1 from Luanda Port, Angola to Nigeria Water for about 17 months.
Prima Maritime in also requesting
NIMASA and other Nigerian authorities to prevail on Bizonal Success and its CEO, Yinusa Abioye Bola not to scrap its MT Ngol Dande 1 which is the only evidence the foreign firm can could use as evidence to lay claim for payment of the debt.
The firm which made these appeals through its legal constants
VITALIS AHAOTU CHAMBERS in Lagos, said the failure of NIMASA to intervene in the case it will have a strained reciprocal relationship between Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Head of the Chamber, Vitalis Ahaotu who disclosed to journalists explained that
Prima Maritime Logistics Consultancy & Services Limited with Alim Ganga as the Managing Director had entered into a Tripartite Agreement with Fiba Networks Limited and Perculiar Steel and Power Limited for the operation and management of MV Aaliyah (Baracuda), a vessel registered in Sierra Leone.
Ahaotu said by virtue of the said Tripartite Agreement, Perculiar Steel and Power Limited was in charge of chartering of MV Aaliyah to a third party, hence Perculiar Steel and Power Limited entered into a Towage Agreement with Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited for the tow of MT Ngol Dande 1 from Angola Anchorage, dropping off at Lagos Anchorage Nigeria.
According to legal practitioner, the Towage Agreement provided in clause 22 for lump sum towage price and clause 29 a Three Thousand United States Dollars ($3000) delay payment for each day.
He said on arrival of MV Aaliyah at Luanda, Angola in 2023 for the tow of MT Ngol Dande 1, the crew as well as MV Aaliya was arrested allegedly as sea pirates who came to steal because the documents of purchase of MT Ngol Dande 1 given to them by Bola of Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited were allegedly fake.
“The crew were consequently released/while the crew were in detention, Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola collected the Eleven Thousand Euros (£ 11, 000) that was meant for the purchase of bunker and never returned the money as we speak.
“However, in the course of this ordeal, our client (Prima) discovered that Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola of Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited knew that the two vessels it allegedly bought were stolen vessels but he failed to disclose this fact to him before MV Aaliya was engaged for the tow.
It was after all these predicaments that Bola of Bizonal Success began the due process to acquire the two scrap vessels legitimately.
“At last, MV Aaliyah towed MT Ngol Dande 1 from Luanda Port, Angola and arrived Nigeria territorial water on 31st July, 2024. At our greatest surprise, since MV Aaliyah arrived Nigeria, Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola has deliberately refused to pay MV Aaliyah the amount since the agreement came into effect .
“In the midst of all, our client has reliably been informed that Alhaji Bola has commenced, with lightning speed, the scrapping of MT Ngol Dande 1(the only object our client could use as evidence to lay claim for his payment).
“By all indications, it appears this singular act of Alhaji Bola, would not be undertaken without the full knowledge of certain compromised staff at NIMASA, since we have been informed that there has not been any official documentation allowing MT Ngol Dande 1 to operate/berth in Nigeria. They also did not register MT Ngol Ndande 1 as required by Law with NIMASA, Nigeria Customs, Nigeria Immigrations and Nigeria Navy.
“The total indebtedness of Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola and Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited to our client under the Towage Agreement, excluding the expenses allegedly incurred by them and accordingly set off by our client is the sum of US$876,462 (Eight Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Two United States Dollars).
“We want NIMASA to intervene and ensure that Alhaji and Bizonal Limited pays our client his earned $876,462 for the tow of Ngol Dande 1 from Luanda Port, Angola to Nigeria Water which lasted for about 17 months to enable our client pay the Seafarers their wages, he stated.
Credit —- https://www.peoplesdailyng.com/firm-seeks-nimasas-intervention-to-halt-illegal-scrapping-of-ngol-dande-1/