Maritime This Week: A Recap of News and Events

Abiodun OBA |

Fallen truck container crushes two to death in Lagos

The crushed car and the container

A fallen container from a truck has crushed two people to death and injured several others at Ikorodu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the death of two people in the incident.

He said the tragedy occurred on Monday at Agric. Bus Stop, Ikorodu.

According to Oke-Osanyintolu, “Two people were dead. Three sustained major injuries and several others sustained minor injuries when a container fell on a Toyota Camry and three motorcycles.”

He said investigations at the scene of the accident revealed that a truck with a 20ft container fully loaded with unknown items with registration number LSD-611XU was on top speed, had a break failure, lost control and subsequently fell on the Toyota Camry with registration number FKJ-732FS and the three motorcycles.

Oke-Osanyintolu added that the two bodies of the male victims had been taken to the mortuary while the injured that were initially treated by LASAMBUS had been moved to the Ikorodu General Hospital for further treatment.

“However, the commodities recovered from the container have been bagged and handed over to the Police at Owutu Police Station. Operation has been completed,” he said.

Cat: news

Two foreigners die in Bali boat accident

Police investigators examine the Gili Cat 2 boat following an explosion while it was enroute to nearby island of Lombok, at Padangbai Port in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016. Police on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali said Thursday a German woman was killed and about 20 other people injured in an explosion on a speed boat ferrying them to neighboring Lombok. (AP Photo)

Two foreigners — a Brazilian and South African — have died after their boat capsized in rough seas near Bali, the search-and-rescue agency said Monday.

The small tourist vessel flipped near the treacherous Devil’s Tear cove on Nusa Lembongan, east of the Indonesian holiday island.

The boat’s passengers, a 48-year-old Brazilian and a 43-year-old South African, were declared dead in hospital, the agency said.

The boat’s 35-year-old captain survived with serious injuries, it added.

Maritime accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of some 17,000 islands where safety standards are often lax.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

Abuja-Kaduna rail travellers safe – NRC assures

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), says it has intensified efforts to ensure the safety of trains and passengers that travel via the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS).

Mr Paschal Nnorli, Manager, AKTS, NRC, on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the 1955 Railway Act that established the NRC created a command for the protection of lives and property.

“The command is usually headed by a Commissioner of Police with six or seven area commanders. On this corridor which cuts across FCT, Niger and Kaduna, there are three police divisions in Idu, Kubwa and Rigasa.

“Aside that, any train you see on this corridor is having at least 15 armed policemen and you know this trains stop at the stations.

Also on Tuesday,

Apapa Customs accused Presidential task team of extorting truckers

The Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) Apapa, Comptroller Abba Kura accused the Presidential task team set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to see to free flow of traffic in and out of the Apapa/Tin Can Port Axis of extorting truckers.

Speaking during the visit of an ad hoc committee on Eastern Port who visited the Lagos Port on Tuesday and led by Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee investigating the non-functionality of the 6 eastern Ports, Kura responding to a question raised by Hon. Ossy Prestige a member of the committee, as to why there is congestion at the Apapa Port, said there was no congestion at the port but rather the problem in the port are infrastructural problems.

He added that the traffic in and out of the Apapa port has not been resolved due to lack of discipline, alleged bribery and extortion of truckers by the Presidential task team set up to see to the free flow of traffic at the port.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

NRC wants more coaches to address passenger surge at train stations

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has restated the need for additional coaches to address the high surge of passengers being witnessed at the various train stations.

Mr Paschal Nnorli, the Manager, Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS), said this in Abuja on Wednesday.

“It is a big issue for us and of course because of the insecurity on the Abuja-Kaduna express way, the passenger surge here is something else.

“The worst part of it is that whenever they come they are restive, they are cantankerous and aggressive and at times they even go physical on my staff.

“The major problem here is that the demand is outweighing the supply by far.

“If we have enough loading stock and trains are moving every hour or we increase our rake, now our highest rake is eight coaches, assuming we double it or make it 20, all these problems will stop.

During the week of review, the FG sent Oyo-Ita on indefinite leave and appointed an acting Head of Civil Service.

Oyo Ita

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja approved the appointment of Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan as the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) with immediate effect.

In a statement signed by Mr Willie Bassey, Director Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yemi-Esan, who was the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources takes over from Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita.

According to Bassey, Oyo-Ita has been directed to proceed on an indefinite leave to allow conclusion of the investigation being carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said the President had also approved the extension of the tenure of seven retiring Permanent Secretaries for a period of one calendar year with effect from Oct. 1.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

FG moves to preserve railway heritage

The Federal Government is fully aware of the importance of preserving the history of the Nigerian Railway heritage, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

Amaechi said this when he received the Managing Director, International Railway Heritage Consultancy Ltd., Mr Steve Davies, in Abuja on Thursday.

Amaechi said retaining the country’s railway heritage had been a major challenge and he would do everything possible to ensure it was preserved for the sake of the future generation.

He however called on International Railway Heritage Consultancy Ltd to come up with a concept paper on how to secure the country’s investment in the sector.

Nigeria spends $1.2bn to import fish annually – Emefiele

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele says about 1.2 billion dollars’ worth of fish is imported into the country annually.

Emefiele disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing some state Governors and the media on the feat recorded so far in agriculture for economic growth.

He explained that current fish production stood at 0.8 million tons while the demand was 2.7 million tons, giving a deficit of 1.9 million tons.

He said the apex bank’s current initiative was to engage the coastal state governors to develop the blue economy to address the deficit of 1.9metric tons as well as eradicate the huge import bill for fish.

According to him, this is a very huge economic opportunity for the states to create an enabling environment for investors.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20

CBN Cashless Policy: Bank customers express concern

Residents of Ilorin, capital of Kwara have expressed concern over the charges on deposits by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin on Friday said that it was nothing but extortion by the apex bank.

Mrs Adejumoke Olumuyiwa, owner of a retail outlet, said that it was the banks’ own way of increasing cases of armed robbery.

“They are only telling us to start keeping our money at home again like we traders used to do before.

“And of course that is an invitation to robbers burgling your home. We were told cashless policy on withdrawals before; we thought that was in our interest.

“I want to deposit money not withdraw, so what is the crime there? Is it everyone in Nigeria that has a bank account?

“This is not going down well with me anyway, they had better reverse it,” she said.

Another respondent, who sells clothing materials, at Oja Tuntun market, who simply identified herself as Fatimah, said that it was a policy that didn’t have consideration for traders.

“They want everybody to do transactions online but have forgotten that it is not everybody that is educated or computer literate.

“I think the government should focus on what is first, like education, good housing, and social security and upgrade our standards of living.

“If you run a cashless policy, have you considered the blind man begging on the street? How does he do his own transaction?

“Policymakers just assume things from their own point of view. We are still battling with minimum wage and here is another economy killer,” she said.

Mr Ike Fidelis, who sells shoes, said that the economy of Nigeria was gradually going back to the era of a trade by barter.

“I don’t know why I have a feeling that we will soon go back to the era of exchanging goods and services.

“When everybody digs the soil to keep their money. The banks are not helping our investments at all, we are being exploited.

“That is why you see all of them, bankers dressing richly, all they do is make more profit than us who do the work to get money, all in the name of managing or keeping our money safe.

“To withdraw charges, to deposit again charges, when we withdraw five times from another bank ATM they begin to charge again.

“You will not believe that if you use another bank’s ATM card on another machine, you cannot withdraw more than N10,000 at once.

“Because they know that by the time you withdraw five times for N50,000 you are due for charges at your next withdrawal.

“Why are they just trying to make living difficult for the common man. I’m sure if it continues to be unbearable we small traders will be forced to close our bank accounts and resolve to self-help, which I think is better,” he lamented.

Mrs Kike Ogundipe, a civil servant, said “this is not good at this time. We cannot do without cash circulation in the economy.

“We are told cashless transactions, these transactions attract charges too, even the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data transactions attract charges, so is it not extortion?.

“I am happy about the resolve of the House of Representatives to the CBN, to put the implementation of the policy on hold. These banks are making so much money out of the poor man’s account.

“Now I see the parliament working swiftly in favour of the common man, which is why they are there, and I really appreciate them,” she said.

NAN reports that the CBN issued a circular on September 17, that commencing from September 18, transactions above N500, 000 would attract charges on both withdrawal and deposits, for individual and corporate accounts, in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra and Rivers states, while the nationwide implementation of the cashless policy will begin by March 2020.

ANLCA secures full release of seized licenses – as Customs begins verification

National President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Tony Iju Nwabunike has said that the association has now secured full release of the over 300 clearing licenses belonging to his members from Nigeria Customs Service.

The licenses, including that of the ANLCA National President, were shut down by the

Nigeria Customs Service after they were reportedly hacked by criminals to release vehicles and other cargoes illegally from the port.

Meanwhile, our correspondent who visited the port gathered that the Nigeria Customs has commenced the 2019 verification exercise of all practicing licenses at the ports.

The exercise is to determine the genuineness of clearing licenses in operation, as well as ensure that information such as office addresses provided by the clearing agents are real.

Speaking with our correspondent, the ANLCA president said “Right now, all the licenses have been released, in fact, with a letter written to us.
We have also been having letters coming from our members congratulating us”