50 companies bid for NNPC tug boat contract

A total of 50 companies recently submitted bids to provide sea-worthy tug boats on charter time basis for the maritime operational requirements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt.

The Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division (PAD) made this known in Abuja.

“The public bid opening event which was held at the Abuja Corporate Headquarters of the Corporation had in attendance representatives of the bidding companies with officials of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Department of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, and some members of the civil society as observers,” he said.

Successful companies, according to him, will be engaged on a two-year term contract in the first instance with an option of renewal for a further one year.

“Winners are expected to provide services which include: aiding the berth and un-berth of all ships operating at the NNPC jetties/buoy, logistics support for safe ship-to-ship operations which covers movement of fenders, horses, documents, rigging and unrigging of fenders among others.”

Speaking recently at the public opening of the bids, NNPC Group General Manager, Supply Chain Management, Mr. Shehu Liman, said the corporation under Dr. Maikanti Baru, the managing director, was determined to instill and sustain the values of transparency, accountability and integrity in the procurement process.

He noted that apart from providing a level playing space for all stakeholders, the public bid exercise is in conformity with existing Federal Government legislation on procurement which is also in tune with the NNPC standing regulations on procurement to ensure transparency and fairness.

The bid covered services like stand-by and positioning vessels at the Single Point Moring (SPM) buoy, among other marine services.

Declaring the event open, Mr. Dalhatu  Makama, Group General Manager, Marine Logistics Division of the Corporation, noted that the essence of the bid process was to ensure that companies with the requisite experience in maritime operations are given the opportunity to compete for the available service in a fair and transparent manner.