MDU jabs gov’t over Atuabo Lonrho freeport

Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) has expressed disquiet at the ruling government’s approval of concession rights to a foreign company to establish the Atuabo Lonrho Freeport to service the oil and gas industry of Ghana.

Speaking at a one-day capacity building workshop for Dockworkers in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 the General Secretary of MDU, who is also the Chairman of the International Transport Workers Federation (IFT), Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, noted that privatisation of ports undermines a country’s sovereignty.

“The Maritime and Dockers Union is opposed to the development of a private port by Atuabo Lonrho Fressport because it violates the PNDC Law 160 of 1986,” he stated.

According to him, the said law establishes that it is only the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) that can plan, build and regulate ports.

He pointed out that the description of the Atuabo Lonrho Port by government as a Freeport, and moreover placing it under the Free Zones Board (FTB) was only an attempt by her to circumvent the laws of the country.

That arrangement, Mr. Owusu-Koranteng indicated, would favour the Atuabo Lonrho Freeport, because according to him, a Freeport is only a custom arrangement.

To this end, he stressed that his outfit would not countenance any such arrangement.

In his opinion, any investment that undermines national security and sovereignty is a bad one, and for that matter, it would be an economic loss to the country, if the Atuabo Lonrho Freeport were allowed to operate and regulate.

“The establishment of the Atuabo Lonrho Freeport would strip our coastline of its legal protection and open up our coastline for unbridled development of private ports,” he asserted.

Mr. Owusu-Koranteng hinted that it would require international solidarity to fight against the Atuabo Honrho Freeport.

He also used the occasion to call on the government to, as a matter of urgency, consider the renewal of the Destinations Inspection Companies (DICs) contract whilst at the same time condemning the partisan nature of the debate on the issue.

He disclosed that if care was not taken about the renewal of DICs contract, about 500 people will lose their jobs at the end of August 2015.

“It is worthwhile to note that the socio-economic implication of the job losses has not been part of public discourse,” he intimated.

For her part, the deputy Minister for Transport, Mrs. Joyce A.B. Mogtari, affirmed government’s commitment to develop the maritime sector so as to make the ports in the country efficient and productive to create a healthy environment for dockworkers.

She was full of praise for ITF for organising such a workshop which, according to her, would inure to the benefit of the economy.

It would be recalled that Parliament of Ghana granted generous concessions including exclusive rights to the Atuabo Lonrho Freeport to have monopoly in the operation of oil and gas terminal, though the same Parliament granted a loan facility of about193 million euros to GPHA.

The money was to help GPHA to undertake the expansion of the Takoradi Port which included the building of an oil and gas terminal to service the oil industry.