The misleading information circulating on social media that our operations have been shut down was posted by persons acting in the interest that says they are the National Water Resource Management Agency ( NWRMA).
What we eventually deciphered yesterday was that they claimed we didn’t pay our water dues. !! This is wrong and malicious, to say the least, as our water bill and all other bills are fully paid, and we have the receipts to show for it.
On the 20th of September 2023, at about 12 noon, a group of officials supposedly from the National Water Resources Management Agency ( NWRMA) accompanied by a few armed police officers and some journalists stormed our Aberdeen terminal and attempted to stop our operations claiming we are not paying for “water dues” to which our baffled management staff on ground disagreed as our water bills are fully paid.
These NWRMA agents then told our staff that their agency was formed in 2019 (just before COVID), and they have been writing us letters making demand for dues, but we ignored them. They said the government has given them the mandate to also collect annual dues for water transport services on the sea. This was a surprise because we had never heard of or had any communication with this agency before, not to talk of paying dues. The myriad agencies with ostensible oversight of one business sector merely adds to lack clarity.
There was never a formal introduction of this newly formed agency to us on how it relates to our water transport operations on the sea. We are familiar with and deal with agencies related to Marine resources and we have also looked at the enabling Statute. The Statute and the agency are meant to cover and protect the use of potable water and inland water ways and not the maritime environs and the sea. We feel this has been an unfortunate misunderstanding that can easily be resolved through the right process of dialogue.
Seacoach Express has 100’s of employees and with the cascading effect this has on beneficiaries we will say that a peremptory closure does not set the right tone in this harsh economic climate that we are collectively facing as a nation at present.
This agency has now called for a meeting in their office to discuss this matter.
To our customers that witnessed this show of shame, we apologize, and for those who have called to confirm we are ok and open for business, we thank you all very much.
Seacoach, your Reliable partner is open for business and ready to serve.
