Author: Saint Augustine

A Master Mariner, Captain Tajudeen Alao has called on the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to ensure a review and strict implementation of the two reports sent to him by the two committees he set up recently namely; Committee on re-establishment of the national carrier and the Committee on the repositioning of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron within the second quarter of 2017. Alao who made the call in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos stated that the first quarter of 2017 was encouraging for the maritime sector in Nigeria adding that the second…

The Chairman, Shipowners Forum, Barr. Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi has made a passionate appeal to the Nigerian maritime stakeholders not to allow the Nigerian Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) die. Orakwusi who made this appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lagos stated that although she don’t know exactly what happened that the event which is believed to be the biggest maritime event in Nigeria and perhaps in the whole of Africa not to take place last year after a stuttering outing two years earlier. She however suggested that the failure of the event could not be unconnected with the multiplicity of associations…

Three Nigerian scammers have bagged a collective jail term of 235 years in the United States of America (USA) for defrauding victims they met on dating sites of tens of millions of dollars. Infosecurity Magazine reports that Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30, was sentenced to 95 years in prison; Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31, was sentenced to 115 years while Femi Alexander Mewase, 45, got 25 years in prison, all totaling 235 years in prison. The trio who were tried and found guilty by a court in the Southern District of Mississippi committed crimes such as identity theft, mail, credit card, and…

The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo this Saturday leaves the shore of the country to attend the ongoing G7 Summit holding in Italy. In a message on his Twitter handle, the Senior Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the Acting President, Mr. Laolu Akande indicated that the Acting President who was invited to represent Nigeria at the summit will leave Abuja this morning and return back in the evening. “AgP Osinbajo invited to ongoing G7 summit in Italy to represent Nigeria, leaves this morning and is expected back later in the evening today”, the message read. Send your news, press…

As Muslim faithful begin their Ramadan fast today, the Insepctor-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has appealed to Muslim Ummah to use the Ramadan period to fervently pray for peace, unity and safe return of President Muhammad Buhari. Idris’s Ramadan message to Nigerians was contained in a statement signed by the Force Public Relation Officer, Mr. Jimoh Mushood and made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja. He added that there was need for all Nigerians to seize the opportunity brought by the fasting to pray for the country’s unity and for peace to reign. “Muslims and other Nigerians should use…

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has called for caution on the parts of the government and people of Nigeria in the establishment of Deep Sea Ports across the country. The Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman who made this call while delivering a lecture with the title,” The Prospects of A Hub Port Status, a Deep Sea Port and Everything In Between”, at the second edition of a Day with Nigerian Maritime Students organized by Platform Communication in Lagos Friday stated that though there was necessity for Deep Sea Ports, its development must have a correlation with cargo…

The Western Marine command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded a total of 941 (nine hundred and forty-one) 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice and 66 (sixty-six) kegs of 25kg petroleum products one months after the assumption of duty in the command of the new Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mustapha Sarkin-Kebbi. Conducting newsmen round the seizures on Thursday, Sarkin-Kebbi put the value of the goods at N6, 830, 719 (Six million, eight hundred and thirty thousand, seven hundred and nineteen naira), duty of the goods at N4, 781, 503.30 (four million, seven hundred and eighty-one thousand, five hundred…

One week after the suspension of the withdrawal of service action embarked upon by the freight forwarders and the amalgamated trucking association at the nation’s seaport and border stations, stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry have described the action which lasted only for two days as successful. Respondents who spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos Wednesday stated that although most of the issues raised on the wake of the action was yet to receive the attention of the federal government, it sent the right signal to the government of the day. According to the Chairman, Association of…

In a bid to further enhance the reportorial skills of the men and women of the pen profession, the Tincan Island Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday commenced the training of maritime journalists at the command’s training centre in Lagos. The two-day training which was kick started with the training of the first batch of twenty-eight (28) journalists seeks to  train about seventy (70) maritime journalists spread in three (3) batches of two days each. The training which featured lectures like the Interpersonal Skills, Will, Overview of the Tincan Island Customs command/Revenue profile, Communication, Trade facilitation…

By Ejimonu Udenka It is a new political season of sorts in Anambra State with all manner of political parties, groups/associations crawling out of the crevices to stake claims ahead of the November 18, 2017 gubernatorial election. To gain a share of voice, some have resorted to the boring tactics of picking at the symbols of the Chief Willie Obiano achievements in the last three years with the imposing flyovers as their main target. Prominent amongst the wanna-be landlords of Anawbia Governor’s Lodge is the All Progressives Congress (APC) led choristers who have been shouting themselves hoarse in a futile…