MARITIME THIS WEEK: Recap of News, Events

MONDAY JANUARY 27, 2020

Abiodun OBA

Nigeria’s Quest for Ease of Doing Business: Many Rivers to Cross

Penultimate Saturday, at the Annual Awards Ceremony of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, revealed the resolve of government to ensure that Nigeria attains 70th position on the World Bank ranking of Ease of Doing Business index by 2023.

The federal government was emboldened in its confidence by the geometric rise of the country on the world ranking index of ease of doing business.

The 2020 ranking places the country on 131st position out of the 190 economies ranked each year by the World Bank.

However, as much as this dream is achievable, its realisation is a long shot in the dark

Embrace CTN or remain uncompetitive in regional trade- Shippers’ Council warns Nigeria

Nigeria has remained the only country in West, Central Africa yet to implement the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), report has shown.

Nigeria competitors, Senegal, Cote D’ivoire, Angola, Congo, Cameroon, Benin and Togo presently implement CTN to plug revenue leakage in port operations but Nigeria has lagged behind in implementing the CTN.

Speaking over the weekend while responding to stakeholders’ criticism of the planned re-introduction of the automated system at the nation’s seaports, the Director, Consumer Affairs Department, Cajetan Agu reiterated that Nigeria still remain the only country in West and Central Africa to implement the single window project.

According to him, it is left for the country to compete with other neighbouring countries in the sub-region or perish.

Ex-Customs CG knocks Ali over N1.6bn recruitment

A former Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service(NCS), Hamman Ahmed has described as illegal, the appointment of a serving Brigadier General, as the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) , by the current CG of the Service, Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) .

This is even as Ahmed alluded to the recent allegation of fraud and greed against Ali by Senator Francis Fadahunsi , the Senate’s Deputy Chairman on Customs

The former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hamman Ahmed described the recruitment of 3,200 candidates into the Service with N1.6billion as one of the illegalities of the current CG.

TUESDAY JANUARY 28

Low channel draught threatens NPA’s vessels diversion directive to eastern ports- Operator

An operator at the Lagos port complex yesterday said the eastern ports lack the capacity to handle vessels that will be diverted from Lagos port because of its shallow channel draught.

Speaking yesterday, a source, who craved anonymity, said he feared other challenges such as lack of enough berth, yard space, cargo handling equipment will make it difficult for the directive to be successful.

It was learned that the Lagos port -Apapa and Tin-Can Island have a channel draught of 13 meters, the eastern ports have a much lower channel draught with the Port Harcourt port having seven meters channel draught, the Calabar ports having 6.4 meters.

Customs Intercepts N19.4m Tramadol, Petrol in Lagos

The Seme border command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said it has intercepted banned tramadol, and amphetamine syrup smuggled into the country.

In a press statement made available to newsmen by the Public Relations Officer, Husaini Abdullahi, he said the drug which worth N5million was intercepted alongside Premium Motor Spirits (PMS).

Abdulahi who quoted the acting Customs Area Controller of the command, Compt. Chedi Dalha disclosed that the 9,225 kegs of petroleum products were intercepted from smugglers.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29

MAN, Oron gets Simulators in February – Rector

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron yesterday said its recently acquired simulators for the training of cadets will arrive the country in batches from February 2020.

In a chat with newsmen, the rector of the academy, Commodore Emmanuel Effedua (rtd) said fifteen lecturers of the Academy have arrived lndia for a one-month training on manning the simulators.

According to the rector, with the simulators, cadets will be effectively trained on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Electronic Charts, Blind Pilotage, Tactical Navigation, Ship Stability, Rules of the Road as well as High Voltage training.

‘Ease of Doing Business’: Regulatory environment harsh and hostile – ACCI

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has expressed regret that the regulatory environment in doing business in Nigeria remains harsh and hostile with no sign of easing.

Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, ACCI President, who expressed the regret added that it was more worrisome particularly when the Federal Government policy on EoDB has recorded many successes, by placing the issue of the hostile business environment in the front burner of public discourse.

Kayode who spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the Ease of Doing Business conference organized by Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (AHK-Nigeria), therefore, called for urgent attitudinal change within the country’s regulatory bodies to enhance Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework.

N42m import finance scam lands Fidelity Bank Manager in Court

Agatha Dunu Igwe, a senior female manager with Fidelity Bank Plc, Lagos, has been arraigned before the Lagos Magistrates’ Court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N42 million from the Managing Director of Maydom Pharmaceutical Limited under false pretence.

Police said that Igwe allegedly obtained the money from the complainant on the pretext to use the money to lobby senior officials of the bank to help him to secure a $1 million import finance loan from Fidelity Bank Plc, a claim the police said the accused knew to be false.

Igwe was arrested by the operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU at Ikoyi, Lagos and after investigation by Supol Akio and his team, Igwe was charged before the Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court on a three-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.

THURSDAY JANUARY 30

Low Awareness at Seaports, Ferry Terminals as Coronavirus Spread to Africa

A health worker checks the temperature of a man arriving at Bata Airport, January 14, 2015. All teams arriving in Equatorial Guinea for the African Nations Cup must travel through the capital Malabo and have tests for the Ebola virus, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Wednesday.
REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EQUATORIAL GUINEA – Tags: SPORT SOCCER HEALTH) – GM1EB1F0O1R01

There is palpable tension among stakeholders operating in the nation’s seaports over low awareness and sensitisation against coronavirus at the Lagos seaport and ferry terminals in the state.

The coronavirus was confirmed in the Chinese city of Wuhan on January 7, 2020 and with a considerable community of African students in China and a number of them have expressed their desire to return home as authorities struggle to contain the virus.

For instance, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated FANA broadcasting corporate, FBC, reported that four Ethiopians suspected of being infected by coronavirus have been placed in isolation, said the Ministry of Health.

“The students arrived in Ethiopia from a university in Wuhan, China’s worst-affected city by the disease,” the report added.

Coronavirus: Chinese travelling to Lagos to be quarantined– LASG

All Chinese travelling back to Lagos from their country are to be quarantined in order to avert outbreak of deadly Coronavirus in the State.

Lagos State Government on Wednesday said it has reached an agreement with the China Embassy in Nigeria to combat possible outbreak of the disease in the state.

At a news conference at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Commissioner for Heath, Prof. Akin Abayomi said the government was leaving nothing to chance to prevent outbreak of the disease in Lagos.

According Abayomi, many people in China living in Lagos had travelled back to their country to celebrate the Chinese New Year and had not returned before the outbreak of Coronavirus in their country.

He said anytime from now, many of them might be thinking of returning to Lagos for their businesses, which he said portended great risk of possible outbreak in Lagos.

FRIDAY JANUARY 31, 2020

POF-paying freight forwarders alone to clear cargoes from ports – CRFFN Registrar

The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) said only POF-paying freight forwarders would be allowed to clear their cargoes from the ports.

The Registrar of the council, Mr Samuel Nwakohu, said this at a media chat in Lagos.

According to him, POF is a legal practising fee meant for freight forwarders and customs brokers who need to be professionals and practical in their areas of work and an infinitesimal fraction of amount that a practitioner charges its client.

Nwakohu said that a 20ft container would attract a fee of N1,000 while a 40ft container would attract N2,000 before it was cleared from the port.

CVFF DISBURSEMENT: Ship owners dismiss rumoured replacement with ship acquisition model

Following recent reports that the federal government may eventually not disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) to individual beneficiaries but may acquire vessels and assign to stakeholders for management, ship owners have denounced the notion saying it does not tally with the law establishing the fund.

Nigeria Ship Owners Association (NISA) said any arrangement different from the agreement contained in the law establishing it is a mere rumour because there is a standard laid down for disbursement of the said fund.

Tunji Brown, a member of the steering committee of NISA told our correspondent in Lagos on Thursday that the earlier procedure is intact.

According to him, except a new guideline is approved by the National Assembly to the effect, the federal government cannot derail from the laid down procedure.