Section 32: Power of Authority to make port regulations

(1) The Authority may,with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for the maintenance, control and management of any port and for the maintenance of good order therein, and, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power,may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes, that is-
(a) regulating traffic within the limits of a port or the approach to a port;
(b) regulating the berths and stations to be occupied by ships and the removal of ships from one berth, station or anchorage to another berth, station or anchorage, and the time within which the removal shall be effected;
(c) regulating ships whilst taking in or discharging ballast or cargo;
(d) keeping free passages of such width as is deemed necessary within any port and along or near to the piers, jetties, landing places, wharves, quays, docks, moorings and other similar works in or adjoining the port and for marking out the spaces to be kept free;
(e) regulating the anchoring, fastening, mooring and unmooring and warping of all ships and the use of warps,mooring buoys, chains and other moorings;
(f) regulating traffic, preventing obstruction and keeping order on piers, jetties and wharves and ensuring the safety of piers, jetties and wharves and any cargo on them;
(g) regulating the use of fires and lights and the signals to be used and measures to be taken, by day and by night, in case of fire in a port;
(h) enforcing and regulating the use of navigating lights or signals and of signal lights by ships;
(i) regulating the flags and signals to be used by ships arriving at, lying in and departing from a port;
(j) regulating the manner in which ships arriving a port, shall be boarded by the harbour master, and the information to be supplied to him by the master of the ship;
(k) regulating the use by ships of steam whistles, steam sirens and other like instruments;
(l) prohibiting chipping, scaling or noisy repairs on ships, except at such anchorages or places and at such times as may be prescribed or as the harbour master may appoint;
(m) prohibiting or regulating the erection, maintenance and working of fishing stakes, prescribing the nature of the nets or stakes which may be used, and providing for the licensing of persons authorised to erect! and maintain fishing stakes and nets, and prescribing the fees which shall be paid for the licence;
(n) regulating, whether by way of prohibition or otherwise, the floating of timber, casks or other objects in any port or in the approach to any port and the casting or depositing of any dead body, ballast, rubbish, or other thing into any port or in the approach to any port, in contravention of this Act and for the redemption on payment of expenses and a penalty, within a time limit to be fixed, of anything forfeited;
(o) providing for the forfeiture of anything found in any port or in the approach to any port in contravention of this Act;
(p) prescribing the duties of masters of ships carrying gunpowder or other explosive or dangerous cargo, and of persons engaged in or supervising the shipping, unshipping, landing and transporting of the cargo;
(q) regulating the placing and maintaining of moorings or buoys;
(r) regulating and licensing weighing and metering of goods; and
(s) regulating and licensing porters and carriers and other labourers employed in the working of port facilities.
(2) For the breach of any regulation made under subsection (1) of this section, the Authority may prescribe, as a penalty, a fine not exceeding N5,OOO and, in the case of a
continuous breach, a further fine not exceeding N500 a day for every day after the first day during which the breach continues, or a term of imprisonment riot exceeding twelve months or both such fine and imprisonment.