Navy insists MT Praisel vessel was not carrying stolen crude, TSSL alleges cowl up

The Nigerian Navy has clarified that the vessel intercepted by Tantita Safety Companies Restricted (TSSL) was not stolen crude oil.

This declaration was made by the Director of Naval Info, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, in Abuja on Sunday.

Tantita Safety outfit (a non-public safety firm owned by Authorities Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo) had on Wednesday intercepted the 1,117-tonne vessel which was carrying about 8,100 barrels of crude.

The Navy had mentioned that MT Praisel was accredited by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to load 1,114,721 Litres of Excessive Pour Gasoline Oil (HPFO) from Greenmac Vitality Storage/Tarus Jetty Koko from July 26 to August 8, 2023.

What the Navy is saying

In keeping with Ayo-Vaughan, outcomes of the laboratory evaluation of the product on-board MT PRAISEL by all companies together with NMDPRA point out that it displayed properties according to Nigerian industrial commonplace specification for HPFO.

• “This outcome, subsequently, proves that the allegation and suspicion have been completely mistaken, unfounded, and maybe mischievous. The intelligence report which TSSL claimed to have acquired in respect of the vessel and its product is equally mistaken.”
• “This singular incident brings to the fore the high-handedness and unprofessional conduct of TSSL with its attendant destructive penalties for the provider and purchaser of the product.”
• “It additionally has destructive penalties for the vessel employed to convey the product and different events concerned within the reputable enterprise’’.

TSSL Raises Cowl-Up Allegations

Tantita Safety Companies Nigeria Ltd. claimed that the Navy’s declaration was a cover-up, regardless that it admitted that the product on the vessel was not stolen crude oil.

In response to the Navy’s declaration, Tantita Safety Companies Nigeria Ltd. raised questions concerning the discrepancies between NMDPRA’s accredited port of discharge (Lagos Offshore), the naval clearance (Koko as storage), and the port of discharge acknowledged within the Navy’s press assertion (Bonny).

Tantita known as for a single clearing home for all approvals to make sure transparency and allow every authorities company to entry accredited info from others.

Tompolo mentioned,

• “On Aug. 1, 2023, Tantita acquired a reputable intelligence report {that a} vessel, which had obtained NMDPRA approval to ship HPFO from Koko to Lagos Offshore would proceed in the other way.
• “On Aug. 2, 2023, Tantita operatives approached the MT PRAISEL because it made its means by a creek in Delta, off the Benin River.
• “On board, the vessel have been naval personnel, whereas the Tantita inspection crew included officers and males of Operation Delta Protected (the inter-service job drive for combating crude oil theft).
• “The intelligence urged that the vessel must be crusing to Lagos, however the grasp of the vessel confirmed he was crusing to Bonny.”

Navy Requires Professionalism in Maritime Safety

Ayo-Vaughan reiterated the dedication of the Nigerian Navy to assist efforts to halt financial saboteurs and struggle towards crude oil theft throughout the ambit of the regulation and with the perfect skilled conduct.

He pressured that correct precaution have to be adhered to by all stakeholders to keep away from pointless impediments to reputable industrial actions and companies within the maritime setting.