Author: Saint Augustine

The recent threat by the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) to drag Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) to court over alleged non payment of a N2 Billion intervention fund to Maritime Academy of Nigeria has been described as an act of ignorance. A foremost marine engineer, Olu Akinsoji said this in a telephone interview with newsmen  in Lagos.Akinsoji, a former Administrator of the academy said CLO had through the threat displayed its ignorance of the workings of the maritime industry. According to him, aside the 5% statutorily provided for in the Act setting up NIMASA,…

The senate committee on marine transport on Friday Vowed not to pass the 2014 budget of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, in the National Assembly until the agency satisfactorily convince the committee about the success level of project embarked upon with the Previous budget. This was disclosed by the chairman of the Committee, Hajia Zaynab Kure at the authority Headquarters during the oversight visit of the senators to the agency over the performance of the 2013 budget. It was gathered that the committee Chairman threat was due to the absence of the Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi during…

The Management of Port and Terminal Management Academy of Nigeria, POTEMA, has confirmed SHIPS and PORTS DAILY as the most widely read and widely Circulated maritime Newspaper in Nigeria. This was contained in an award given to the publication at the Academy’s 4th National Graduation Ceremony and the Investiture of Dr Taiwo Afolabi as the Chairman of the governing Council of POTEMA in Lagos on Saturday. Presenting the award to the representative of the Company, Daniel Nwakwuoke, the Chairman of the occasion, Otunba Kunle Folarin, said their is no doubt about giving SHIPS&PORTS the award because the Publication merit it…

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday said that it has granted a total of seven thousand, nine hundred and twenty- eight (7,928) provisional release of containers trapped during the hand over of the Destination Inspection Scheme by the Service Providers. The Command also said that a total of Seven thousand and eighty-seven (7,087) Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports (PAARs) has been transmitted by the Service since the take over of the Destination Inspection Scheme from the Sevice Providers by the Nigeria Customs Service. The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Charles Edike who made this…

Following the recommendations of the Senator Okunromu Committee that only the political parties with representations in government should send delegation to the National Confab which saw five political parties expected to send their representatives to the confab, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has faulted the action describing it as undemocratic. In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan by the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the party disclosed that by that singular decision, a large chunk of Nigerians would have been shut out of the dialogue that would have afforded them the opportunity to be heard adding…

Contrary to the media reports that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has been mandated to re-organize the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe has denied any knowledge of such mandate given to anybody or agency by the Minister of Transport. Jukwe who was speaking to Primetime Reporters in a telephone interview stated that there was no such mandate and that if there is any such mandate, it would be incumbent on the officials of CRFFN to let it out and not the other way round. “I don’t know where all…

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi has reiterated that alternate dispute resolution is a tool that has the potential to enhance the growth of the Nigerian maritime sector. The NIMASA DG who stated this while playing host to the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria, (MAAN) in Lagos, decried the pace at which maritime sector disputes were adjudicated in the courts. Mr Akpobolokemi noted that maritime disputes in some instances linger in the courts for decades adding that this was to the detriment of the maritime sector. He also assured stakeholders…

..Mikky Okunola Others Lost out The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in the early hours of friday elected nine members to its Board of Trustees (BOT) for the next six years as Chief Tony Nwabunike scored the highest number of votes at the poll. Others that were elected into the Board included Chief Henry Njoku, Sir Ernest Elochukwu,Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, Chief Peter Obih,Dayo Azeez and Aare Sanni Shittu. Chief Dennis Okafor and Alhaji Mustapha Taiwo also made the list. However, one of the top contenders among the thirteen contestants, Alhaji Mukaila Okunola lost out of the elections. Also…

Against the backdrop of media reports suggesting that the President was shopping for a replacement for the present Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has warned those behind such media campaign to desist from such act as it is only the President that has the power to remover the Comptroller General from office. The warning was contained in a press release issued by the founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam , a copy of which was obtained by Primetime Reporters at the weekend. Aniebonam in the release titled,”…

The Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA) last Friday called for an all inclusive maritime reform that will bring about the long awaited change in the sector that is believed to be the second highest revenue earner for the federal government. NISA also wants the federal government to work towards the total removal of the waiver clause in the cabotage regime to further empower the indigenous shipowners to take their rightful place in the maritime sector. The chairman of NISA, Chief Issac Jolapomo who made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting on,”Policy Guidelines for Granting of Ministerial Waivers on Cabotage”, held at…