Controversy has trailed the arrival of a CMA- CGM vessel which berthed at Lekki Port for its inauguration by President Mohammadu Buhari in Lagos two weeks ago.
While officials of the port are claiming that the vessel sailed in from Apapa Port with empty containers mainly for simulation purposes, an official of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said that the ship came in from France ladened with containers of imported goods.
Efforts to reach the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Lekki Port, Daniel Odibe, on phone and text messages proved abortive as they were not responded to.
However, a source close to Lekki Deep Sea Port’s Management, told Vanguard that the vessel came in from Apapa Port with empty containers for simulation purposes only for the sake of the commissioning.
When contacted, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Josephine Moltuk, said she does not have any information about it, noting that she will make inquiries and get back to Vanguard.
She did not, however, get back to Vanguard as of the time of this report.
The source at NPA said, “It is not true that the vessel came in with empty containers, I can confirm that it came in with containers from France. NPA will collect its dues and relevant levies.”
An official of Indigo Agency, media consultants to Lekki Deep Seaport, Bolaji Abimbola, told Vanguard that the vessel came from Apapa and not France, but he declined to disclose the content.
