MARITIME THIS WEEK: Recap of News and Events

Abiodun OBA

MONDAY APRIL 27, 2020

The nigeriamaritime360.com focused attention on “Spike in Exchange Rates: Recipe for Port Congestion “ in its Editorial on Monday April 27, 2020.

The medium recalled that last week and like a bolt from the blues, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), slammed an adjusted increase in exchange rate for Customs duty on importers and their agents.

The adjustment spiked up the rate, on which Customs duty on goods will be calculated, from N326 to N361, thus raising the duty by additional N35 per dollar.

And pronto, the Customs has imputed the new adjusted regime of tariff into the system.

Importers and their agents only got to know about this change at the point of making declaration for their goods.

Expectedly, the sudden increase in the customs tariff has created confusion and distortion in the clearing process as many importers and their agents, who relied on the old rate, could not make declaration for payment of Customs duties.

Union Asks FG To Extend Palliatives To Seafarers Irrespective Of Nationality

The Nigeria Merchant Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has appealed to the federal and state governments to look inward and extend palliatives to seafarers operating on the nation’s territorial and inland waters irrespective of their nationality.

The seafaring union also expressed worries over the abandonment of seafarers due the delay in crew change in the face of the novel coronavirus.

National President of the Trade Union Affiliate body ,Marine Chief Engr. Bob Yousuo, in a statement made available in Lagos, noted that the lockdown order by the Nigerian President failed to yield the desired results in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic saying any form of extension could create more risk to stranded seafarers.

TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2020

NIMASA warns public against consumption of dead fish in Niger-Delta

NIMASA has commenced a scientific inquiry to identify the cause of the recent shoals of dead fish washed ashore along the Niger Delta coastline states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers, and other places within the region.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has commenced a scientific inquiry to identify the cause of the recent shoals of dead fish washed ashore along the Niger Delta coastline states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers, and other places within the region.

The Agency also put up a warning to the general public, especially the fisher folk in the affected areas, about the dangers of consuming or selling the dead fish to unsuspecting members of the public.

Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said, “We are working with relevant scientific experts to isolate the cause of the abnormal issue of dead fish along the Niger Delta coastline.

We want to identify the cause and establish what can be done to alleviate the adverse effect of this occurrence on the people and the marine environment in the affected areas.

Customs’ rice gift: Journalists demand for Ali’s sack – threaten to go to court.

Customs bars Oyo government from returning #PoisonousRice

 ‘’Never mind that the five states,  Lagos,  Osun, Ekiti Ondo and Ogun have given conflicting reports on the rice,  the truth of the matter is that they don’t want to speak up because of political reasons and patronage.

“If the CG has said severally that foreign rice is not fit for human consumption,  why must it then be distributed as palliatives?
–    League of Maritime Editors and Publishers (LMEP)

A group of maritime journalists under the aegis of  League of Maritime Editors and Publishers (LMEP) has called for immediate sack of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), and the Customs Controllers of Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Lagos and Ogun Commands for donating 920,000 bags of contaminated rice to the states in the South West as part of the palliatives over the ravaging #COVID-19.

The irate journalists however threatened to take legal action if Ali and his controllers are not sacked by President Buhari for such atrocities against Nigerians.

Their demand and threat were contained in a statement signed by  Messrs Kingsley Anaroke and  Francis Ugwoke,  the President and Secretary -General of the League respectively.

The group said that Ali and his Customs Controllers treated with total disregard the health implications of the grains to the people of the states even when they were fully aware that the food items were poisonous.

The editors recalled that Ali had himself described the grains as poisonous and had warned Nigerians from consuming them on several occasions.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29, 2020

We did not certify rice sent by Customs to Oyo state — NAFDAC

We did not certify rice sent by Customs to Oyo state — NAFDAC

The National Agency For Food  Drug  And Administration Control (NAFDAC) has denied claims by the Nigeria Customs Service that it certified  the rice sent to Oyo state by the Customs

Director-General of NAFDAC,  Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this in a television interview monitored by our reporter yesterday.

Professor Mojisola said while the agency was called to certify the rice in Ogun and Lagos commands, the agency was not called in to certify the rice in Ibadan Customs Command that was shipped to Oyo State.

Her revelation destroyed the claims made by the Customs and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Saddiya Umar Farouq that the rice rejected by Oyo State was certified by NAFDAC.

The Oyo State government had insisted that the rice was full of weevils and was unfit for human consumption, a claim which the Oyo Command of Customs vehemently denied.

Gov. Udom Emmanuel dismisses Customs rice to Akwa Ibom state unsafe for consumption.

Governor  Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state has said the 1, 800 bags of rice donated to his state by the Federal government as palliatives to cushion the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, may not be suitable for consumption.

The governor stated this in a press conference he held in the state capital, Uyo.

He announced a decision to subject the rice to scientific tests to ascertain whether such should be distributed to the people of the State.

“The only palliative we have gotten from the Federal Government is 1,800 bags of Customs bonded warehouse rice.  “As I am talking to you, the rice is in the warehouse. It is a gift. We have sent it for test and until the test result is out, we will not distribute it to our citizens. It is not good for consumption,”

he said.

The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has however denied claims that the rice sent to some states was in bad condition. According to her, #NAFDAC certified the bags of rice before they were distributed.

THURSDAY APRIL 30, 2020

Maritime environment deadlier than #COVID-19 – AMATO Chairman

The Chairman, Association of Maritime Trucks Owners (AMATO) Chief Remi Ogungbemi has described the hostile maritime as deadlier than the #COVID-19 pandemic.

In a chat with our correspondent in Lagos,  the AMATO chairman said the port environment is not friendly,  adding that truckers are at higher risk due to the hostile industry environment as compared to the pandemic.

He disclosed that the association has adhered to the social distancing instruction of the Federal government, by directing its members who have no business to do at the port to stay at home.

He urged the government to remove several bottlenecks inhibiting the flow of trade at the port.

Nigeria Set to sell two LNG Cargoes … as traders seek clarity about Nigerian oil output

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Angola’s LNG project is set to sell three cargoes of liquefied natural gas in the international market despite a drop in the price of crude oil.

In a statement obtained from Energy Mix Report,  it disclosed that the NLNG is offering two cargoes by May, while Angola will be offering one in June 2020.

It also added that the average LNG price for June delivery into northeast Asia LNG-AS is estimated at around $1.95 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) about $0.35 per mmBtu lower than the estimate previous week.

FRIDAY MAY 1, 2020

Sarumi sends goodwill message to maritime workers on May Day

The former Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Adebayo Sarumi has said that “The Mission to Seafarers”,  the organization he heads,  is devoted to the welfare of the Nigerian seafarers and maritime workers respectively.

Sarumi disclosed this in a statement issued to felicitate with workers on the International Labour Day celebration on Friday.

He also noted the message was geared towards appreciating and encouraging them for their selfless service to the nation.

“We salute the courage and   nerve of seafarers and maritime workers, who daily sacrifice life and limb to keep global trade afloat.”

Sarumi, who is the Chairman of the Board of the Mission, stated he will always be devoted to the cause of the seafarers and maritime workers respectively.

He maintained that the group recognises the efforts of shipping fleets, maritime agencies as well as fellow seafarer welfare institutions that have been partnering at protecting, promoting and boosting the lot of seafarers in Nigeria.

Freight Forwarders spoil for war with terminal operators over demurrage waivers.

— As ANLCA, NAGAFF disagree over strike option.

There was tension at the Lagos Ports yesterday as angry freight forwarders rallied themselves together to protest the refusal of Terminal operators to grant waivers on demurrage and other storage charges.

At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic which necessitated the partial lockdown of the country, the Federal government had exempted the port industry from the shutdown.

However, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), had directed the Terminal operators to grant waivers covering 35 days on demurrage and other storage charges as a form of palliatives for importers and their agents.

The operators, despite assurances from the NPA that they would be adequately compensated for the gesture, had refused to grant the waivers but  there was palpable tension at the ports as agents vowed to protest the refusal of the operators to comply with NPA directive.

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