By Rapheal,Steve Agbota

Copyright thesun

By Steve Agbota

Contrary to reports suggesting that stevedores are being hounded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged non-payment of royalties owed to the government, the National Association of Stevedore Operators (NASO) has clarified that no individual or group, including stevedores, has the right to withhold government dues, taxes or fees.

In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, NASO acknowledged that while there is indeed a backlog of royalty payments owed to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), discussions to resolve the matter have been ongoing for the past two months.

According to Sunmola, negotiations with the NPA would have been concluded by now if not for a recent management retreat embarked upon by the Authority. He emphasised that stevedores operate as agents of the NPA and that when payments are received for services rendered, a portion is remitted as royalties in accordance with established guidelines.

Sunmola said: “Don’t forget, we are agents to the NPA. When we are paid, we remit an agreed royalty to the NPA as and when due, as stipulated in the terms of our engagement. There are no disputes between us and the NPA regarding this.”

He explained that the ongoing discussions revolve around categorising the backlog into different payment classes (such as Category ‘A’ or ‘B’), which will determine the sequence of payments. “We are nearly at the end of these talks. If not for the NPA’s retreat, the negotiations would have been concluded, and payments commenced,” he noted.

Addressing reports of EFCC involvement, Sunmola clarified that the Commission’s invitation was routine and not indicative of wrongdoing.

“The EFCC has the right to invite anyone. This is not the first time we’ve been invited. We went to Abuja, explained the processes through which we secured our jobs, and returned. NPA was also invited and did the same. There’s nothing unusual about it,” he said.

He stressed that stevedores have consistently complied with their obligations. “We’ve always paid our dues. The current issue is just a procedural stopgap as per the agreement between us and the NPA.”

Meanwhile, the NPA has reportedly invited stevedores to a meeting to deliberate on the royalty payments and address other operational issues affecting their work across the country.

The group has expressed concern over the ongoing circulation of unverified media reports, alleging that some journalists may be sponsored to discredit the stevedores.

The president condemned such unprofessional media practices and urged reporters to always verify their facts before publishing.