Sierra Leone Firm To Recover $876,462 from Nigerian Company
•••Seeks NIMASA’s Intervention
•By Our Reporter
ABUJA – A Sierra Leonean firm, Prima Maritime Logistics Consultancy & Services Limited, has called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to help recover an outstanding sum of $876,462 allegedly owed by Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited.
The debt is linked to the towage of MT Ngol Dande 1, a vessel moved from Luanda Port, Angola, to Nigerian waters over 17 months.
The legal representatives of Prima Maritime, Vitalis Ahaotu Chambers based in Lagos, have urged NIMASA and other Nigerian authorities to intervene urgently.
They have also warned against allowing Bizonal Success and its CEO, Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola, to scrap the MT Ngol Dande 1, which they claim is “the only tangible evidence” Prima Maritime has to support their payment claim for services rendered.
Breach of Agreement and Diplomatic Concerns Barrister Vitalis Ahaotu, the head of the legal chamber, highlighted that the case could potentially strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Sierra Leone if left unresolved. He recounted that Prima Maritime, under the leadership of Managing Director Alim Ganga, entered into a tripartite agreement with two Nigerian firms, Fiba Networks Limited and Perculiar Steel and Power Limited, to operate and manage MV Aaliyah (Baracuda), a Sierra Leone-registered vessel.
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The agreement led to a towage contract between Prima Maritime and Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited for towing MT Ngol Dande 1 from Angola to Nigeria. According to the terms of the Towage Agreement, Bizonal Success was to pay a lump sum, with a daily penalty of $3,000 for delays, as stipulated in clauses 22 and 29 of the agreement.
However, problems emerged upon the vessel’s arrival at Luanda. The crew and the vessel were detained on suspicion of piracy, reportedly due to fraudulent ownership documents provided by Bizonal Success. “The crew was accused of attempting to steal the vessel because the purchase documents given to them by Bola were allegedly fake,” Ahaotu explained.
After their release, Alhaji Bola allegedly collected €11,000 meant for bunker fuel, which has yet to be reimbursed. In addition, Prima Maritime discovered that Bola knew the vessels he claimed to have purchased were stolen, yet he withheld this information until after the contract was signed. “Alhaji Bola only began the process of acquiring the vessels as scrap after the complications arose,” Ahaotu added.
MT Ngol Dande 1 Scrapping Raises Concerns.
Despite the setbacks, MV Aaliyah successfully completed the tow, with the vessel arriving in Nigerian waters on July 31, 2024. However, Bizonal Success has allegedly refused to settle the $876,462 owed for the tow, despite the terms of the agreement. “To our client’s greatest surprise, Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola has deliberately refused to make payment since the vessel’s arrival,” Ahaotu lamented.
The legal representative expressed growing concerns over the swift scrapping of MT Ngol Dande 1, which is reportedly underway. According to Ahaotu, the scrapping is being carried out in an unusually rapid manner, and it is feared that this action may be happening with the knowledge of compromised NIMASA officials.
“There appears to be no official documentation allowing the vessel to berth or operate in Nigerian waters, and it has not been registered with NIMASA, Nigeria Customs, or the Nigerian Navy,” he claimed.
Appeal to NIMASA
Ahaotu has called on NIMASA to take immediate action to prevent further complications and to ensure Bizonal Success settles the outstanding debt.
“We want NIMASA to intervene and ensure that Alhaji Yinusa Abioye Bola and Bizonal Success Nigeria Limited pay the owed $876,462 so that our client can settle the seafarers’ wages and recover from this lengthy ordeal,” he stated.
He also warned that failure to act on the part of NIMASA due to the alleged involvement of compromised staff could strain the reciprocal diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
•INDEPENDENTNG.