The management of Nigerdock Nigeria Plc has rejected allegations leveled against it recently by the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation that it was using its jetty was being used by Niger Delta militants for gun-running and illegal importation of arms and ammunition into Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Lagos, the Group Executive Chairman of Jagal Group, owners of the Nigerdock, Mr. Anwar Jarmakani, described all the allegations by the committee members as �entirely false, baseless, unfounded and detrimental to the national interest.�
Apart from the gun-running accusation, the committee had also alleged that the company was offloading cargo on the high seas without supervision by security agencies, and that it was now operating outside the scope mandated by government at the time of its privatisation.
The allegations were made after Nigerdock denied members of the committee entry into its facilities on July 29.
Jarmakani, however, said that Nigerdock, which is located within the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, operated under the direct supervision and monitoring of the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, the Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian Police.
He pointed out that the activities of these government agencies in the Free Zone were to ensure due compliance and appropriate security.
He added that the SIIFZ was operating in compliance with International Ship and Port Facility Security Code as issued by the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security.
Confirming Nigerdock�s position, a top official of NEPZA, who was also present at the press conference, Mr. David Chun-Gyang, said, �NEPZA in all its operations works in conjunction with all other security operatives, and in the list of its operations, allowable in any free trade zone, you will never find anything like arms and ammunition. It is a very, very restricted area, so much that no investor is permitted to engage in that type of industry.�