Author: Saint Augustine

The call on Ndi Anambra to support the selfless service and programmes of the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano through her NGO, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE) is fast yielding results with the donation of 20 motorcycles and 20 gas cookers by a Philanthropist and Managing Director of Tona Geological Services, Chief Dr. Tony Anukwu in support of the pet project. The motorcycles and gas cookers were recently presented to CAFE at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia. Receiving the items, Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs. Obiano expressed appreciation to Chief Anukwu and his…

Search and Rescue personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have rescued three crew members and recovered one body from an incident which occurred about 65 miles from shore, just 10 nautical miles south west of the Bonga FPSO near Warri where two vessels; MT Elixir and MT Tank collided midstream. Divers and other rescue personnel are still at the site of the incident where eight crew members of MT. Tank appear to have been trapped. Preliminary reports show that the incident occurred at about 12 midnight on Monday 19th October 2015 and that MT Tank got…

A group of suspected armed robbers, Thursday, attacked motorists in traffic congestion at the Costain area of Lagos state, leaving about two persons dead. The bandits were said to be robbing motorists at the Eko Bridge, which links the Costain area, City Today reports. When the hoodlums who were robbing from one vehicle to another, got to a car and ordered the occupants to wind down their windows, the occupants refused to comply and this angered the robbers who shot the two occupants dead. An onlooker who simply identified himself as Onwuyali, said, “We were in a serious gridlock at…

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, said on Thursday that the appointment of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission attested to President Muhammadu Buhari’s sectional posture in the running of the country. The governor, who has remained one of the most vociferous critics of the Buhari administration, said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti that the appointment had vindicated his earlier position that the President sees himself “as leader of the Hausa/Fulani, and not that of the entire people of Nigeria”. Fayose said he had expected the new INEC Chairman to be chosen from one of…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has begun the public opening of technical bids submitted by 91 companies to secure contract for the provision of Coastal and Bunkering Vessel Services. This is contained in a statement by NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe. The statement said the coastal and bunkering services was for the operations of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC. It said the exercise was conducted under the watch of representatives of the bidding companies, officials of Bureau of Public Procurement, (BPP) and the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative,…

No fewer than 80 physically challenged persons were rewarded with free wheel chairs by the wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano as part of her commitment to the empowerment and welfare of the less privileged persons in the society. Making the presentation at the Governor’s Lodge Amawbia, which coincided with her birthday which she celebrated with the physically-challenged persons, the Governor’s wife disclosed that her mission in the State was to use her NGO-Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ) which embraced all members of the family, “to identify the challenges facing the less privileged ones, and…

Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara yesterday rewarded his loyalists, most of them members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with ‘juicy’ committees. A breakdown of the committees’ chairmen and their deputies announced at the end of plenary yesterday showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 48, while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 45. Two other parties – Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – got one each, bringing the number of the committee chairmen to 95. One other committee (Niger Delta affairs) is yet to have a head.…

The subject matter appeared in the Punch newspaper of Tuesday, 20th October 2015 on Page 36 and Ships and Ports newspaper of 21st October 2015. I was alarmed, as a field-wise Customs Broker-practitioner, to note that the various reforms witnessed over the years, in cargo clearance, has not been appreciated yet by some segments of the Nigerian Public. It is sad to also note that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) especially, being members of Customs Board and a strong voice at the Presidency, could make such assertion, zeroing in on Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port. In these…

Some pro-Biafran supporters who were arrested for protesting in major roads of Port Harcourt Tuesday have appeared before a Chief Magistrate court in Port Harcourt. The 20 men ranging from 20 to 50 years, who were arrested during the protest, could not take their plea in court. Chief magistrate S.D Andrew-Jaja could not hear the matter following the nature of the charge. He adjourned till 27th of this month for counsels to address the court on its jurisdiction to grant bail to the accused persons. The courts said the adjourned date will also allow the court ascertain the gravity of…

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has put a stop to all types of waivers in the country forthwith. Ali who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen recently said there was no going to be waivers except for those ones that were allowed for namely; diplomatic cargoes that were proven to be truly diplomatic cargoes. He observed that henceforth, diplomatic cargoes would be subjected to scrutiny to ensure that they were genuinely diplomatic cargoes and not a ploy to evade duty at the seaports, airports and land…