MARITIME THIS WEEK” Recap of News, Events

Abiodun OBA

MONDAY June 1, 2020

The nigeriamaritime360.com focused attention on “Disbursement of ”

On Thursday, December 12th, 2019, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, at a public function in Lagos, said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) in January 2020.

Nigeriamaritime360.com at the time expressed doubt over the timely execution of the approval not for anything, but because one needs no soothsayer to know that the approval if anything could be an ordinary carrot to impress the stakeholders.

We said at the time time that if Amaechi had expected the stakeholders, especially the distraught ship owners, to applaud and jump up for joy for an obviously good news, he must be mistaken.

To many of them, who had apparently grown weary of the long wait for the disbursement of the controversial funds, the announcement was nothing more than a hollow ritual of failed promise which they have grown accustomed to hearing from the Minister.

Today, the ravaging COVID-19 has thrown spanner into any process of the unending disbursement promise.

All efforts are now shifted from the Cabotage fund disbursement to the pandemic which the World Health Organisation (WHO), has made us to believe is here to stay but only managed until any cure is found. He epidemic has battered the world economy so much so, that countries are looking for funds to escape the claws of recession.

The longer an issue stays on the drawing board like an African adage goes, the wiser it gets.

As we speak,Amaechi and the present NIMASA DG Dr.Bashir Jamoh, may have many hurdles to cross in the disbursement as there have been many emerging schools of thought on the disbursement of the long delayed Fund.

Some are of the opinion that the fund should not be disbursed to individual stakeholder but rather used to float a maritime Bank which in the end will develop our shipping industry. Some have equally questioned who the real shipowners are or better still who are the real stakeholders?

Can a pioneering contributor to the fund who could boast of more than three ships at the time but now left with none be considered a shipowner ? Many questions that could further delay disbursement now beg for answer.

We, therefore, urge the Minister to bater down the thick wall of mystery which has been built around the CVFF disbursement for which the indigenous ship owners have become disenchanted and irritated.

The time is now, when the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari of which the Honourable Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, is an arrow head, that is five years in the saddle,to make definitive and indelible impact in maritime, the new “black gold” by taking a final decision and action on Cabotage Fund disbursement.

Anti-Piracy War: Police Arrest 17 Suspected Pirates In Rivers

No fewer than 17 suspected sea pirates were arrested by the Rivers State Police Command over the weekend.

The arrest followed a major raid on their various hideouts on the states.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the suspects were responsible for recent coordinated attacks on policemen in the state.

“The 17 sea pirates attacked the men of Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base five, Benin on May 24 while they were on duty at Egelegele River in Degema Council in Rivers.

“The dastard act by the sea pirates resulted to our men losing their arms and ammunition during the attack.

“However, in a well coordinated operation in the late hours of Wednesday night, operatives of the Marine Division of the Rivers command arrested the suspects.’’

Omoni said items recovered from the suspects includes, two AK 47 magazines, charms and amulets, mobile phones, gas cylinder, N50,000 cash and two speed boats allegedly used in the attack.

TUESDAY June 2, 2020

Suspended Domestic Flights Resume 21 June

The suspended domestic flights occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic since March will resume in Nigeria 21 June.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the flight resumption at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja yesterday.

Sirika said the resumption of flights will be based strictly on two folds. The implementation of the approved protocols for safe operations of the airlines and safety of travellers.

He said, “The three-week period between now and the resumption date is to enable the operators adhere to all the necessary industry regulations, without which they cannot take to the skies after being dormant for some time.

Importers Incur Huge Surcharges Over Customs Server Failure At Lagos Port

Importers operating at the Tin-Can Island ports of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have incurred huge surcharges from shipping companies and terminal operators as the Nigeria Customs Integration System (NICIS2) server is experiencing operational difficulties.

This server failure which has crippled business activities at the Tin-Can Island port would lead to huge demurrage and storage charges for importers as processes of documentation for Customs clearance by clearing agents have remained very difficult.

The Tin-Can Island Port is the second busiest seaports in Nigeria after Apapa. The port has five terminal operators with different concessioning agreements.

Under the NICIS 2 platform, importers and clearing agents are expected to process their clearance documents right from the confines of their homes and offices, this was designed to reduce the level of crowd trooping into Nigerian ports and various Customs commands.

Partial treatment to barge operators,cause of non-adherence to NSC 30% Agreement Cut – NARTO

The Vice President National Association Of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) Abdullahi Inuwa has given reasons as to why truck owners failed to abide with the 30 percent haulage cut agreement they had with the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC)

Recall that the truck owners agreed to a 30 percent decrease in their charges after the management of NSC appealed to the truckers to do so as part of efforts to support port operations under the lockdown occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However one month after the decision was reached, many truck owners have refused to ameliorate its charges even as some truck owners now charge much more than the initial cost.

In a telephone chat with our correspondent, Abdullahi Inuwa, Head of Operations, Council of Maritime Transport Union’s and Association (COMTUA), stated that truck owners failed to adhere to the agreement due to the partial treatment given to barge operators.

WEDNESDAY June 3, 2020

Gov Emmanuel Applauds FG On Actualization Of Ibom Deep Seaport … ICRC presents FBCC Certificate to Transport Minister

Governor Udom Emmanuel has applauded the federal government for it’s determination to fast track the actualisation of Ibom Deep Seaport, IDSP.

The governor also thanked the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, and all relevant federal regulatory agencies including the NPA, ICRC, and others for working tirelessly with Akwa Ibom state government to actualise a vision that will transform the economic fortunes of the entire country.

He poured encomiums on the Technical Committee on Realisation of Ibom Deep Seaport, led by Barrister (Mrs.) Mfon Usoro, for its dedication and high sense of patriotism displayed in pursuing the project.

These commendations came on the heels of an announcement that the federal government is set to move to the next level of the procurement process of the Ibom Deep Water Port (IDWP) through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Clearing Agents Accuse National Security Adviser Of Frustrating Ease Of Doing Business

Clearing Agents operating at the nation’s seaport have bemoaned the office of the National Security Adviser of endless request for End Users Certificate (EUC) that frustrate Ease of Doing Business at the Seaport.

The End User Certificate is a document used in international transfers, including sales of arms provided as aid, of weapons and ammunition to certify that the buyer is the final recipient of the materials, and is not planning on transferring the materials to another party.

The clearing agents under the aegis of Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), blamed the National Security Adviser for imposing the EUC on the Nigerian Customs Service before any cargo can be cleared, which they alleged is against the Custom Excise and Management Acts (CEMA).

THURSDAY JUNE 4, 2020

Appeal court judgement read in haste – NIWA tells Lagos Attorney General.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has faulted the assertions of Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN on the subsisting judgement of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division on appeal number CA/L/886/2014, delivered on July 18, 2017.

NIWA called on the Attorney General of Lagos state to carefully revisit the content of the judgment which he might have read in a haste or inadvertently did not accord the ruling deep consideration.

This is contained in a press statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos by the agency.

The statement said according to Lagos attorney general, Justice Muktar JCA had stated in the lead judgement on the case that “All other inland Waterways within Lagos State are within legislative competence of Lagos State House of Assembly and revenue there-from accruable to Lagos Waterways Authority” nothing suggests LHSA is competent to make laws in respect of same.

Police promises to interface with community members to maintain Social Order as Community Policing takes-off in Lagos

The Nigeria Police shall interface with members of the community toward the maintenance of social order in the country.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Education and Training at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Mr. Femi Folawiyo, representing the IGP, in continuation of the tour of South West Geo-political zone of the country to inaugurate Community Policing Advisory/State Committees stated this yesterday at Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos.

AIG Folawiyo with Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on the matter of Community Policing for the South West

Those of Ekiti and Osun states had earlier been inaugurated.

Folawiyo said the nation had reached a point where the police must interface with community members in maintaining social order.

“It is a bottom-up approach that shift focus on reactive law enforcement to proactive problem solving,” he said.

“Let us use community policing to keep the peace, to promote safety, to enhance security awareness, to gather intelligence, to fight crime, to settle dispute and get to the bottom of policing.

“State community is under a system, Amotekun belongs to the system not the system belonging to Amotekun. Community policing is all-encompassing. All stakeholders in the security system will be part of community policing,” the AIG enlightened.

FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2020

China allows foreign airlines to resume limited flights

China on Thursday announced that foreign airlines blocked from operating in the country over virus fears would be allowed to resume limited flights.

Beijing’s announcement comes as tensions between the world’s two superpowers are sent soaring by a series of issues including Donald Trump’s accusations over China’s handling of the pandemic, Hong Kong and Huawei.

The latest spat was rooted in the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) deciding to impose a limit on foreign airlines based on their activity as of March 12. Because US carriers had suspended all flights by that date their cap was set at zero, while Chinese carriers’ flights to the US continued.

On Wednesday the US said it would block Chinese passenger flights from June 16, raising concerns of another front being opened up in the economic titans’ stand-off.

But the CAAC on Thursday said all foreign airlines not listed in the March 12 schedule would now be able to operate one international route into China each week.

Sanwo-Olu relaxes ban on worship centres, limits congregation to 40% of maximum capacity

The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced religious centres can now open from June 19 under strict monitoring to ensure compliance to set guidelines.

Sanwo-Olu who announced this at State House, Marina, during a media briefing on the update of the management of Coronavirus and the second phase of the gradual easing of C0VID-19 lockdown in the state, said only Friday and Sunday services are allowed with 40percent attendance of their maximum capacity.

No worship centre no matter how big would be allowed to accommodate more than 500 worshippers at a session.

He said that congregational worship in mosques would resume Friday June 19, while Christians would resume on Sunday, June 21.

Stranded Nigerians in Lebanon to return soon

HEADLINES NEWS

Stranded Nigerians in Lebanon to return soon

Abiodun OBA

The Lebanese Government on Thursday said the remaining 10 of 79 Nigerians allegedly stranded in Lebanon are to be repatriated soon once they are through with their pending legal cases.

Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Houssam Diab made this known when the chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.

Recall that 69 out of 79 Nigerians stranded in Lebanon were recently evacuated from the country.

The Ambassador expatiated that the Embassy and the Lebanese community paid over $150,000 USD to evacuate the 69 Nigerians and also paid for their 14 days quarantine, adding that they were not in Lebanon illegally but were abused by their employers who also breached the working agreement and did not have money to bring them back.

He assured that the Lebanese government will not condone maltreatment of foreign nationals and anyone found guilty will face the necessary penalty.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa called on the Ambassador to ensure that whatever cases the 10 Nigerians left behind were being charged with, should be expeditiously dealt with so they can return home.