Author: Saint Augustine

The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has thrown its weight behind calls in some quarters for the harmonization of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) and the CRFFN Act to create room for uniformity in the Freight Forwarding sector. Yo may recall that the National Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNIFFIEC), Chief Dr. Osita Patrick Chukwu at a public forum in Lagos recently had advocated that the licensing regulations of the Nigeria Customs Service be withdrawn from it and be handed over to the CRFFN which was aptly empowered by…

Contrary to reports that the Federal government may have shifted the effective implementation date for the levy component of the new auto policy, the Nigeria Customs Service Wednesday said it has commenced the implementation of the levy component of the policy as earlier directed by the Federal government. You may recall that Primetime Reporters last week reported that Federal government has granted an extension of the commencement date from July 1, 2014 it earlier set for the kick off of the Levy component of the policy to January 1, 2015. The report has it that the extension plan which was…

Following the just concluded maiden edition of the stakeholders’ meeting between the new Customs Area Controller of the PTML Customs Command, Mr. Folorunsho Adegoke and the leaders of the freight forwarding associations under the command a fortnight ago, the former Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) PTML Chapter, Mr. Ugochukwu Nnadi has petition the Customs Area Controller of the command over what he called gagging the stakeholders by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Steve Okonmah. In the petition he titled, “ Gagging the Stakeholders”, Mr. Nnadi expressed his displeasure over the comment he credited to Mr.…

  The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja-Lagos has said that it has made seizures of prohibited goods valued N483,324,260.00 (Four hundred and eighty three million, three hundred and twenty four thousand, two hundred and sixty naira only) with a payable duty of N263,086,234.00 (two hundred and sixty three million, eighty six thousand, two hundred and thirty four naira only) with a DPV of N746,410,494.000 (seven hundred and forty six million, four hundred and ten thousand, four hundred and ninety four naira only) between the period of January to May,2014. Speaking in a press release…

The National President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Engr Mathew Alalade has lamented the neglect of seafarers by the government even as the President of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Mr. Bolaji Akinola said 6000 cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria(MAN) Oron are lacking sea time training.   Alalade disclosed on Wednesday during the celebration of the 2014 day of the seafarer in Nigeria.   Alalade said, every year too many seafarers are either injured or lose their lives in maritime accident.    “More often than not their injuries and…

Mr. Tony .O. Anakebe is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gold-Link Investment Nigeria Ltd. A businessman of no mean stature. He started his career in Clearing and Forwarding more than 15 years with Ideato Trans-world Agency Nigeria Ltd.in 1999 as a Clearing Officer, a position he held until 2002 when he resigned from the company to take up another appointment with Masphala Nigeria Ltd as Supervisory Officer. In 2005, he reigned and established his own company known today as Gold-Link Investment Nigeria Ltd. Mr. Anakebe has been a major contributor to the development of the Nigerian Maritime…

Seafarers operating in the country may have cause to smile as their poor condition of service may tumble for the better, as the Maritime Administration (MA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to review it.   Director General of the agency, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, stated this yesterday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital at the celebrations marking this year’s Day of the Seafarers, which is marked all over the world as permitted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).   In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Director in the Director General’s office, Chief…

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) has quoted the Director General of the agency, Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi as saying that adequate sensitization of boat operators, enlightenment of passengers and enforcement of safety standards are necessary to curb the growing cases of boat mishaps in Nigeria.   The Director General who was said to have said this at the flag off of Safety Awareness Campaigns for operators of boats and other mechanically propelled water crafts explained that NIMASA is committed to the safety of lives and property on the nation’s water ways and as such will continue to…

… As NPA attributes increase to implementation of e-payment solution Cargo throughout at the nation’s seaports stood at 19.66 million metric tonnes in the first quarter of this year, showing an increase of 14 per cent over the 17.25 million metric tonnes recorded in the first quarter of 2013. This was contained in a press release by the Assistant General Manager Public Affair of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Musa Iliya and made available to Primetime Reporters. A breakdown of the throughput figure shows that general cargo, containerized goods inclusive, contributed 6.32 million metric tonnes or 32.2 per cent to the throughput…

…to commence January 1, 2015     Weeks of intense lobbying over the effective date of implementation of the new automotive policy have paid-off as the Federal Government has granted an extension of the commencement date to January 1, 2015, which was to have commenced on July 1, 2014. The new date is the aftermath of the lobbying machinery of different stakeholders which included freight forwarding associations, logistics organizations and importers. The various lobbies were said to have been coordinated by a non-government organization; the Maritime Advocacy and Action Group (MAAG). By the new development, vehicles imported into the country will continue…