Author: Saint Augustine

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP )has charged Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to stop sermonizing and parading like a saint until he answers to the N33 billion corruption allegation as exposed by the House of Representatives. The party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary that the Vice President owed it as a personal moral burden, both as a preacher and Professor of law, to directly explain how the fund meant for the wellbeing of Nigerians suffering in the Northeast, was mismanaged under his supervision, instead of the lame attempts to dismiss the allegation…

…Presents certificates, ID cards to pioneer Presidents The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) today introduced new measures to rid the industry of fake Master Mariners with the presentation of membership certificates and identity cards to the two pioneer presidents of the association, Capt. Dennis Osah and Capt. Augustine Olugbode. The event which held Saturday at the association’s secretariat in Lagos marked the official flag of issuance of membership certificates and identity cards to members of the association with a view to checking the activities of fake Master Mariners and foreigners who ply their trade in the industry without clearance…

A frontline maritime lawyer, Barr. Osuala Emmanuel Nwagbara has called on the federal government to provide the Nigerian Navy with the necessary platforms needed to enable it curb the excesses of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region. Nwagbara who made this call in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos recently stated that if the request by the Navy for provision of platforms for it by the federal government was hearkened to, it would stem the tide of calls for private security outfit as exemplified in the request for MASECA Bill. He believed that piracy is better fought with…

In order to promote the activities of terminal operators as concessionaires in all the nation’s seaports, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has directed that henceforth all such operators would be encouraged to take full participation in Trade Fairs and Exhibitions. The Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman gave this indication in Lagos yesterday while declaring open the NPA Special Day at the on-going Lagos International Trade Fair. According to Hadiza Bala Usman, the presence of the terminal operators in trade fair arena would enable them to showcase their activities to the numerous visitors to the fair…

When Stephanie Linus decided to be a filmmaker, she wanted to tell stories that would challenge people to see the world around them differently; stories that would cause her viewers to challenge negative stereotypes about them; stories that would address societal problems and encourage a positive change. “You have the power to change the narrative of every wrong representation of who you think you are,” the award-winning actress told a group of young college students at Dillard University in New Orleans recently. “There is so much you can achieve by telling a story. When I think of a story, I…

Freight forwarders under the aegis of ‘The Initiative’ who are operating at the Tincan 2, Lillypond terminal, Ijora has concluded plans to carry out a one day protest to bring the attention of the federal government to the refusal of the concessionaire of the terminal, AP Moller to move transit containers lying at its Apapa terminal to Tincan 2 for onward clearing by the agents. Speaking on behalf of the Initiative, the Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Ijora chapter, Mr. Chinyere John Okoye accused APMT of sabotaging the efforts of the stakeholders at the terminal towards…

The Nigerian Institution of Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (NIMENA) has called on the federal government to consider the views of those advocating for a separate Maritime Coastguard so as to effectively tackle security issues on the nation’s waterways. National Chairman of NIMENA, Engr. Henry Unuigbe who stated this in a speech at the 7th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Institute in Lagos on Thursday said that Nigeria must put in place robust maritime security architecture to tackle this. He added that in doing this, all efforts should be geared toward shunning parochial interest and put the…

The media was awashed last week of how the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi imposed a government appointee, Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni on the members of the CRFFN Governing Council as against the provisions of the Act establishing the Council. In this interview, a Council member who saw it all, Chief Peter tells the story as it happened and what is expected of the new Council; Excerpts;   Last week, a lot of stories came down to us here from Abuja where you had gone for inauguration as members of the CRFFN Governing Council where it was alleged that…

Contrary to reports in the media, a member of the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Chief Peter Obi has dismissed the December commencement date for the collection of the Professional Operating Fee (POF) by the freight forwarders operating in the Nigerian seaports, airports and land border stations as widely reported. Obi who made this known while interacting with our correspondent in Lagos recently said that POF collection came up as part of the agenda for their inaugural meeting but was canvassed against by the practicing freight forwarders in the…

A member of the Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Chief Peter Obi has said that the freight forwarding business in Nigeria will soon be for professional only as it will no longer be an all comers’ business. Obi who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Primetime Reporters stated that the era where people would retire from the civil service as well as other professions and find their way into the freight forwarding practice without any form of training and registration would soon be a thing of the past. He added…