The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, stunned federal lawmakers on Tuesday when he declared that a multi-billion-dollar cargo tracking agreement entered into by the federal government of Nigeria, regarding the International Cargo Tracking Notes (ICTN) was done in error.
The minister stated this while being quizzed by a House of Representatives investigative panel, probing the delay in the implementation of the cargo tracking project, believed to be costing the country $500 million monthly.
The investigative hearing, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Shipping, Customs, Port and Harbour, and Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration, was to probe the non-implementation of the contract.
Oyetola, a former governor od Osun State, who was represented by a director in the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Babatunde Sule, confirmed the delay by stating that the process approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was flawed.
Recall that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had in March 2023 engaged a consortium led by Antaser Nigeria Limited to implement a cargo tracking system for all imports and exports, including crude oil exports.
But, with the change of government, it has been reported that some officials of the Bola Tinubu administration were attempting to replace the Antaser-led consortium with their own preferred investors, in the guise of PPP arrangement using the new DG of ICRC, Jobson Ewalwfoh.
The representative of the blue economy minister who had earlier admitted the project’s approval by the FEC, later claimed that it was consumated in error.
He said: “I am aware of the contract. I am also aware that it was given to five companies. I learned that four of the companies signed an agreement, with the fifth not signing, and I think that was what stalled this whole process.
“The process was even faulty ab initio. The process that led to this was wrong,” he said, as the lawmakers jeered at him.
“The process could have been better than the way it was handled,” Sule later added after some of his colleagues whispered to him.
His responses forced lawmakers to cast doubts on his capacity to represent the minister adequately even when a member of the legislative committee, Hon. Kabir Maipalace said: “I don’t think you are capable enough to represent the minister; you don’t even have any information about the issue.
“The ministry is not serious. The minister did not show up, the permanent secretary did not show up, and you here do not have first-hand information.”
In his submission, Antaser’s chairman, Emeka Obianozie, told the committee about how his company received approval to implement the cargo tracking project, including approval by the Federal Executive Council.
He stated that under the current administration, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) were attempting to build and implement the same service in the oil and gas sector at a higher cost.
“We informed NSC of the attempt by the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Nigerian Customs Service to implement part of ICTN’s scope at a huge cost to the nation. We noted that these efforts and the associated complications are arising due to the delay in implementing the ICTN scheme.
“The hush move, if allowed, will amount to duplication, mediocrity, unnecessary costs, and, more importantly, abuse of the project by inadvertently compromising the transparency which is the cardinal pillar of the service scheme,” he stated.
Obianozie noted that his company’s contract with the government remained valid, adding that the company “maintains over ninety-five per cent (95%) global network outreach for trade monitoring and cargo inspections.”