Author: Saint Augustine

…Calls for election within 3 months The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase has ordered that the collection of the Practitioners’ Operating Fees by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) be suspended pending the election and constitution of the Governing Council members for the Council. In a well attended meeting between the Inspector-General of Police and the leadership of the various freight forwarding associations operating under the CRFFN at Abuja, the Inspector-General of Police represented by Assistant inspector-General of Police, AIG Adeniji also ordered that election into the council be conducted within the next three…

Following the intervention by President Muhammadu Buhari in the indebtedness of some state governments to their workers, a financial expert, Mr. Johnson Chukwu has called for an institutional perspective towards forestalling the re-ocurrence of the trend in future. It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved a comprehensive three-pronged relief package to the distressed states to enable them meet their obligations to their workers. Speaking in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos, Chukwu stated that the institutional perspective would amount to the President sending an amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility Act such that it would impose…

…Directs CBN to package over ₦250B special intervention fund for states In his resolve to end the lingering crisis of unpaid workers’ salaries in the country, especially in several beleaguered states, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved a comprehensive three-pronged relief package. These are: * The sharing of about $2.1B in fresh allocation between the states and the federal government. The money will come from recent LNG proceeds to the federation account. * A Central Bank of Nigeria-packaged special intervention fund that will offer financing to the states, ranging from between N250B to N300B. This would be a soft loan…

The Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief (Mrs.) Ebelechukwu Obiano has commended the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Foundation for supporting the Girl Child Education Campaign of her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFÉ), with a donation of books. A delegation led by the Regional Bank Head of UBA, Mr. Jerry Azih yesterday presented 20 copies of Things Fall Apart by the late Anambra State born literary icon, Professor, Chinua Achebe, and 208 copies of The Girl Who Can and Other Stories by Ghanaian Author, Ama Atta Aidoo, at her office in Government House Awka. Expressing appreciation…

Continued from last edition… Mr. Ganiyu Sekoni Balogun is the Managing Director, Tarzan Marine Enterprises Nigeria Limited as well as the President, Association of Tourism, Boat Operators and Water Transport of Nigeria (ATBOWATN). In this interview with newsmen in Lagos, he talks about the incapacitation of the Marine Police to effectively Police the nation’s waterways, the roles of the regulating government agencies as well as the expectations of the Boat Operators from the Buhari’s administration as it affects their operation and many more. Our correspondent was there and filed in this piece. Excerpts; Has there been any improvement in the…

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has called on the Nigerian Indigenous Ship owners Association (NISA) to put their problems behind them and forge a common front so as to attract the attention of the government. The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi who made this appeal yesterday in a goodwill message he delivered at the opening ceremony of the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Maritime Expo, (NIMAREX 2015) with the theme, “Nigeria: Regenerating Economic Growth Through the Maritime Sector”, held at Eko Hotel, Lagos. Nigerian Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) 2015 said that the ship owners cannot…

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on Friday called for negotiation with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to achieve reduction on tariff imposition at ports. The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello disclosed this in Lagos during a courtesy visit to NPA’s Headquarters’ in Lagos. Bello said that the negotiation would involve dialogue and constant meeting with the authority to proffer a solution to tariff imposition at the port. He commended the authority for the introduction of the E-payment which had been improving maritime services adding that E-payment was in line with international standard. “There is capital improvement on dredging of…

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron is operating the approved standards set for maritime education by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). According to the Rector of the institution, Mr. Joshua Okpo, the academy by its Act formerly a Nautical College was to provide training and education for shipboard officers and ratings, for shore-based management personnel. What this means according to the Rector is that both middle and high  level skilled manpower as well as sea captains and engineers were to be trained by the school  and according to him the school since its establishment in 1979 by Act No. EC…

The SIFAX Group of companies, owners of Ports and Cargo Terminals at Apapa ports yesterday marked the first official call of the MNM Africa Shipping Line at the Ports and Cargo terminals in Apapa, Lagos. The arrival of the vessel named MV SCL Angela which has the capacity to accommodate about 900 TEUs excluding general cargoes was heralded into the terminal and by extension into the with pumps and pageantry. Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director, SIFAX Group, Dr. Phil Ofulue recalled that the discussions that gave birth to the first call of the vessel to the terminal started…

Mr. Ganiyu Sekoni Balogun is the Managing Director, Tarzan Marine Enterprises Nigeria Limited as well as the President, Association of Tourism, Boat Operators and Water Transport of Nigeria (ATBOWATN). In this interview with newsmen in Lagos, he talked about the effect of the devaluation of the Naira as well as the dwindling oil price in the international market to their business, the rising incidences of robbery at the nation’s inland waterways, the challenges of policing the waterways effectively and many more. Our correspondent was there and filed in this piece. Excerpts; Can we meet you sir? I am Ganiyu Sekoni…