MARITIME THIS WEEK

MONDAY DECEMBER 2, 2019

Abiodun OBA |

This medium started the week with an editorial opinion captioned “Nigeria’s Loss of IMO Seat: One Defeat Too Many”

Last week Friday, Nigeria once again lost its bid to regain the Category C seat of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in a keenly contested elections in London Headquarters of the world body.

Last weekend loss makes it the fifth consecutive failed attempts which Nigeria made to recapture the global crown it lost in 2009.

The latest loss was particularly painful and dramatic as the country lost to Kenya by one solitary but vital vote.

Disappointed stakeholders have since then been making wild guesses as to why Nigeria has consistently become a serial loser at the IMO Council seat elections.

Navy releases Labinjo to EFCC

A former naval captain Dada Labinjo detained by the Nigerian Navy since 2018, has now been transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The navy’s spokesperson, Suleiman Dahun had said Labinjo was no more in their custody, but Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said Labinjo was only released to the anti-graft agency on Sunday.

“He has just been brought from an underground cell by the Navy,” Falana said.

DAURA Transport University: Response to how to maintain and manage infrastructure – Amaechi

The establishment of Transport University was an attempt at responding to the question of how Nigeria will maintain the infrastructure being built in the country.

The Minister for Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, let this out at the ground breaking of the Transportation University in Daura, Katsina on Monday.

Amaechi who said he had no regrets siting the Transportation University in Daura said,” It is my attempt at responding to the question of how to maintain and manage all the infrastructure we are building and realized that education is key.

Clearing Agents Urge FG To Open Border for Legitimate Imports

As the land border closure lingers, the Federal Government has been enjoined to clear the legitimate goods that are currently stranded at the borders, having being ordered way before the directive.

It was gathered that multi-million-naira worth of perishable goods have already rotten at the borders, while a significant number of other goods are still lying fallow hopelessly.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 3

CIOTA TO PROFESSIONALIZE TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS — Holds a 3-Day National Summit in Abuja

The Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) is to pursue a well-articulated 4 -Cardinal programme to ensure professionalism in the transport industry.

The pioneer president of the institute Dr. Bashir Jamoh stated this today while welcoming guests and stakeholders to the 3-Day maiden National Transportation Summit at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

Jamoh said the institute which shall be all embracing in its professionalism drive shall start from the grassroot shall be all encompassing different from other bodies.

Marine police seek empowerment for officers in coastal states

The Maritime Police Command, has appealed to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to extend capacity building program given its officers and men of the coastal state commands across the country.

The call stems from satisfaction derived from a two-day training program organised for the officers and men of the command in Lagos.

Northern Freight Forwarders laud Amaechi over Transportation University in Daura.

Freight Forwarders of Northern extraction have commended the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for what they described as his bold and patriot initiative in facilitating the siting of University of Transportation at Daura, the country home of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It would be recalled that President Buhari on Monday laid the foundation of the $50million (N18b) specialized institution said to be first of its kind in Africa.

Ventilating the appreciation of the freight Forwarders after their meeting in Abuja yesterday was Miftahu Ya’u, a frontline freight forwarder based in Kano.

WEDNESDAY DEC 4, 2019

AfCFTA: Transport expert educates freight forwarders against being caught napping

A transport expert has called on Nigerian Freight Forwarders that it was time for them to draw their roadmap for the future as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is set to commence in March, 2020.

Professor Iyiola Oni, Chairman, Maritime Studies, University of Lagos gave the charge on yesterday when delivering lecture at the 20th anniversary celebration of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Lagos.

While reiterating the benefits of the agreement, Professor Oni said that it is not all the countries that signed the agreement that will benefit equally saying only those who are prepared that will benefit more.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2019

Hassan Bello attributes port inefficiency to absence of Single Window Platform at Nigeria ports

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) had lamented the absence of single window platform at ports.

The organisation said that despite its efforts towards ensuring efficiency at Nigerian ports, the absence of a Single Window platform has continued to rob Nigeria its gains of the port reform exercise that took place in 2006.

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Barrister Hassan Bello made this known in Lagos during the 20th year celebration of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

The NSC henchman who was represented by the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Mrs. Celine Ifeora, expressed worry that cargo dwell time at the nation’s port had gone up to 22-days and added that ships turnaround time had increased to 8-days.

Ogun Customs intercepts kegs of petrol concealed in caskets

The Ogun command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday said it uncovered tricks of smugglers concealing 25kg and 10 kg kegs of petrol in caskets.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Abdullah Maiwada in a press release, said that, the seizure was made by the Joint Anti-Bunkering team of the Service.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 6, 2019

Customs’ incompetence leads to border closure – CRFFN

The governing board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has attributed the decision of the Federal Government to shut the nation’s land borders to lack of competence of the Nigeria Customs Service to carry out its statutory duties at the borders.

At the one day interactive session on Federal Government Land Border Closure: Freight Forwarders Perspective organised by the Governing Council Committee on Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance in Lagos, Thursday, the Registrar of the Council, Barrister Samuel Nwakohu , claimed that the cause of the problem leading to closure of the borders was a system failure especially on the part of Customs.

The Council however appealed to the Federal Government to open land borders to legitimate goods.

Breaking: Freight Forwarders issue 21-day Strike Notice to NPA Over Failed Call-up System

— say Presidential Task Team worst than Navy in Extortion.

Agitated Freight Forwarders are currently spoiling for war with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over what they called the failed call-up system of the agency.

The freight forwarders , who congregated under a common platform, observed that the collapse of the call-up system introduced by the NPA to sanitise and streamline truck access to the port, has thrown up huge operational challenges that are threatening to muzzle them out of business.