Author: Saint Augustine

The Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) has called on the Federal government to revisit the idea of establishing a transporters’ bank which it earlier proposed to assist transporters in the country build capacity in their business. The Treasurer of the Council, Alhaji Isiaka Olalere who made this call in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos said that the bank when established would benefit every duly registered transporter in Nigeria and reduce the cases of rickety trucks plying the nation’s highway. Olalere maintained that the call became necessary following their inability to access loans from the regular commercial banks…

Nigeria last week marked the celebration of the nation’s 54th Independence anniversary. During his independence day anniversary message to Nigerians, the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan used the occasion to reel out the achievements of his administration in the last three and half years. 54 years down the line, our correspondent, in this report takes a look at Nigeria’s progress with particular attention to the maritime sector of the economy. The Maritime sector remains a key sector of the Nigerian economy whose enormous potentials deserves continuous harnessing in order to meet the expectation of the government. To demonstrate the government’s resolve…

…to invests more in ICDs In a bid to decongest the ports so as not to overstretch the existing seaports, the Federal government has concluded plans to invest more in Inland Container Depots (ICD) for prompt evacuation of cargoes out of the ports. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Maritime matters, Mr. Leke Oyewole who made this known in Lagos recently while fielding questions from journalists stated that the creation of ICDs would further augment the operations of the three Deep Sea ports being constructed in various parts of the country. According to him, we are developing Deep Sea…

…Say it is not good for business The Shippers Association of Lagos State (SAL) has described the difficulties currently being encountered by the commuters accessing the Apapa ports due to the ongoing reconstruction of roads in the area as not being good for business. The President of the Association, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Nicol who made this known while speaking to journalists on the sideline of the meeting the association and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos recently regretted that movement from the park Lane Apapa to the Apapa Port which ordinarily would not have taken more than ten minutes now…

The former Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tincan Island Chapter, Dr. Kayode Collins Farintho has called on the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to make public, the names of Nigerians and non Nigerians alike who benefit from the Federal government Waiver system. Farintho, who was reacting to the recent figure released by the federal government as the amount granted in waiver between the month of January and May, 2014 which was put at #28.5 billion, observed that the demand was necessary to enable Nigerians know whether or not those who were benefiting from such waivers actually…

As the year gradually winds up, the Shippers Association of Lagos state (SAL) has called for the extension of one year period given to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to five years to enable it achieve its mandate as the Port commercial regulator in Nigeria. It will be recalled that the Federal government earlier in the year granted the commercial regulator status to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council on the interim for a period of one year to enable it assess the performance of the Council with a view to renewing the status or conferring it on another agency entirely. Speaking…

The former Deputy National Coordinator, save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNIFFIEC), Comrade Stephen Ibe has described the management of the AP Moller Terminal (APMT) as a big time failure. Comrade Ibe who was reacting to some statements credited to the spokesman of the terminal, Mr. Bolaji Akinola where he was quoted as saying that in a commercial environment, one cannot satisfy everybody, stated that he was disappointed that the management of the terminal could be that insensitive as to come up with such a defense for its abysmal performance in recent times. He wondered whether APMT was…

As the argument on whether or not the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service nearly one year ago can be queried since it is a customs document issued by the Customs itself, a former Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farintho has said that PAAR could be queried as well as could not be queried. Farintho who was speaking in an interview with Primetime Reporters in his office in Lagos recently stated that PAAR could not be queried on issues relating to value as according to him, anyone who queried…

Anita Iroajanma The community of OrileBariga recently experienced a new development as the young executives of Poise Graduate Finishing Academy (PGFA) Stream 25 provided them with a manual bore-hole locally called ‘jagamu’. The bore-hole which was commissioned by the facilitator of the programme, Mr. Olaniyi Omole, was sited at the Baale’s Palace at No. 1 Taiwo Street, Idi Aba bus-stop, Bariga Town, Lagos State. The event, anchored by a member of PGFA Stream 25 – Anita Iroajanma, was graced with the presence of Mr. Henry Ononiwu and Mr.Olaniyi Omole (both members of staff of PGFA), the Baale, the Chairman, the…

Contrary to the demands by some stakeholders in the Maritime sector for the review of the Cabotge Act, the Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Temisan Omatseye has said that there was nothing wrong with the Act. Omatseye who was speaking on the sideline of the 2014 Induction Ceremony of the MMS Women of Fortune Hall of Fame organized by Kings Communications Limited in Lagos on Tuesday however stated that the problem with the Act was that of implementation and enforcement. He observed that with NIMASA being given the mandate to implement and enforce…