MARITIME THIS WEEK: Recap of News and Events

MONDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2019

Abiodun OBA |

This medium started the week with an editorial opinion captioned “Border Closure: A Tale of Two Cities”

During the penultimate week, a member of the House of Representatives representing Daura/Mai’adua/Sandamu Constituency, Katsina State, Fatuhu Muhammed, stunned Nigerians when he made a startling revelation over the unending border closure exercise in the North.

On the floor of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, Muhammed said smuggling activities are still going on in the North, unabated, especially at the backyard of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Daura country home.

In a shocking detail, the law maker said the border closure was a mirage in the North as people, goaded, aided and abetted by security agents, are having a field day.

“I was ambushed by the committees in Daura due to the hardship they are facing there as a result of the closure of the border and ban on supply of fuel within 20 kilometres on instruction given by the Customs.

The revelation of the law maker has only confirmed the wide spread insinuation that the Customs and its collaborating sister agencies on Operations EX-SWIFT RESPONSE have orders to tighten the noose on the southern borders but relax the strangulating grip on the Northern borders.

The medium urged the joint border response team to be fair and just in the application and implementation of the order to all affected borders in the country.

There should not be sacred cows and reincarnation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm where some animals are more equal than others.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26

Nwabunike moves to end ANLCA crisis —- prevails on NEC to recall suspended Executives.

The National Executives Committee (NEC) meeting of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), set machinery in motion to end the crisis that has engulfed the association for over one year.

It was gathered that all members were present and they unanimously endorsed the call by the Chairman of NEC and President of the association Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike that, all the executive members of the association suspended by the NEC at its meeting of Nov 17, 2018 be recalled and restored to their positions.

The NEC further agreed to set up a 7-man committee to take note of all challenges (specifically administrative and operational) bedevilling the association with a view to restoring the association’s enviable role as the watchdog of the Nigerian maritime industry.

The committee was given two weeks to submit its report when another NEC is slated

Price of local rice to be accommodating when rice market stabilises —AFAN Chair

The Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Delta State chapter, Mr Richard Asenime has assured that price of local rice will definitely be accommodating when the rice market is stabilised.

Asenime, who stated this in Asaba while applauding the Federal Government’s ban of importation of rice and other items.

“Today, rice farming has received a boost. We now have off-takers who help to clear the produce and process them for consumption; all these and more are making rice farmers happy now.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27

Nigerian Maritime Sector to Contribute 10 percent To GDP – NPA MD

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman has called for sustained efforts to maximize the opportunities that are abound in the Maritime Sub-Sector through entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the second edition of the Nigeria and Entrepreneurship Summit and Honors (NESH) Maritime Roundtable in Lagos with the theme: “Harnessing the Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in the Nigerian Sub Sector, she stated that the “Nation’s Maritime sub sector can be a notable contributor to the efforts at poverty reduction, creation of wealth, promotion of skills acquisition and encouragement of entrepreneurship.

Border Closure: “Mr. President, … We are in debt”

A group of businessmen, on Monday at Seme border protested the closure of the nation’s borders by the Federal Government, saying it had impacted negatively on their business.

The protesters under the aegis of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents and Coconut/ Fish Farmers Union, carried placards with different inscriptions appealing and narrating their economic plights to the President through the Federal Government delegation to the area.

The inscriptions include among others: “Nigeria is a signatory to ECOWAS trade liberation. Why closing the border for importing legitimate goods?”; “Mr. President, we borrowed money from banks, our goods are perishing. We are in debt”; “Mr. President, our duty-paid coconuts from Ghana are trapped and destroyed. Locally produced ones not allowed into our market”, and “The land borders are places of livelihoods. Closing it amounts to creating unemployment and killing people’s businesses.”

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28

NNPC, pledges support to CPPECL & Brantex Consortium on Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Pipeline (AKK) project

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has pledged to give all necessary support to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company Limited (CPPECL) and Brantex Consortium to deliver the project within time and within budget.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, disclosed this when he received the President of CPPECL, Sun Quanjun and the head of the Brantex Consortium at the NNPC Towers in Abuja yesterday.

Kyari said that the AKK project was key to resolving the power deficit challenge of the country, adding that the and therefore urged the China Pipeline Company to use it as a platform for other bigger opportunities in the oil and gas industry pipeline projects.

“We think you can deliver on the AKK project. If you execute the AKK project, we will also support your company to grow her imprint in Nigeria.

NPA, Port of Antwerp sign MoU to enhance efficiency

L-R: The Representative of the Managing Director and Executive Director, Marine and Operations, NPA, Dr. Sokonte Hutttin Davies, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Port of Antwerp Int’l APEC, Kristof Watersehoot, the Ambassador of Belgium, His Excellency, Daniel Dargent and the President Nigeria-Belgium Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Timi Austen-Peters during the official signing of MOU between Nigeria and Belgium at the NPA Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.

The Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Port of Antwerp Belgium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards operational efficiency in line with the desire to deepen the mutual beneficial relationship existing between the two Ports.

The MoU which now exists between the two Ports is also expected to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two Organisations.

FG to produce 360,000MT of local gas – Rehabilitates 3 refineries

The Federal Government says it will achieve local production of 360,000 MTPA of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) by 2023.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, made the disclosure at Nigeria LPG Summit 2019 in Lagos on Wednesday declared that to achieve the feat, government shall rehabilitate the Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries.

The minister, who was represented by his Technical Adviser on Gas Business and Policy Implementation, Mr Justice Derefaka, said the move was part of the National Gas Policy of the government.

Sylva said the government was desirous of deepening LPG penetration in the country, noting that only about five per cent of its population were currently using LPG as energy source.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Nigeria loses IMO Elections again

Nigeria has once again lost its bid to win the category C seat of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, the country narrowly lost to Kenya by one vote.

In a keenly- contested elections, Nigeria polled 110 votes to lose to Kenya which garnered 111 votes.

The loss was particularly painful considering the efforts of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to win back the seat which the country won last in 2007.