Author: Saint Augustine

In a bid to make the nation’s waterways efficient and navigable, President Goodluck Jonathan has announced his administration approval of the dredging of River Benue at an estimated N25bn. The President disclosed this Tuesday at the First International Conference and Exhibition organized by the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority tagged ‘Modernizing Inland Water infrastructure and Vessels for safe and sustainable inland waterways transportation in Nigeria. The President who was represented by the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar said the dredging would commence in few weeks. The President said, “in order to further consolidate the transformation of the inland waterways sub…

Mr. C.A.T Agubamah is the President General, National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidated (NAFFAC). Recently, he played host to the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders (NIFFCB). In this interview with our Correspondent, he bared his mind on the recent Court ruling on the status of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the demand for more funding for the Nigeria Customs Service, the visit of NIFFCB to his office and many more. Excerpt; Recently, there was a court ruling on the status of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN)…

By Monday Japhet Emo I have been on a compulsory leave of absence from serious work, extending it to even mundane and trivial things like consumption of alcohol, no need to prance and prattle about my celibate status. So it was no little shock for me when I crawled out of my enclave to see bedlam. Since I was still basically a recluse, I listened without interest as I heard the name Mr. Patrick Sawyer, Ebola virus, and the phrase viral terrorism. My shock attack turned febrile when I landed at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport and…

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called for the setting up of a technical committee to harmonize the freight forwarding industry with a view to professionalizing it. The National President of NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke who made this known during a courtesy visit on him by the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) in Lagos Wednesday stated that there was the need for a committee comprising of key stakeholders and the institute to chart a way forward for the industry. Nweke noted that there was no better time to reposition the freight forwarding…

Following the inability of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to meet its demands, the leadership of the two Unions has directed their members to embark on nationwide strike on Monday the 18th day of August, 2014. In a statement signed by the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the Senior Staff of Communications, Transport and Corporations (SSACTAC), (Maritime branch) and made available to Primetime Reporters on Thursday, the two Unions directed their members to stay at home on the said date. According to the notice,” this is to inform employees that Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has been…

The Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) has called on the Freight Forwarders to cooperate with it in its drive to train crop of dedicated individuals that could be of service to the Freight forwarding industry. Addressing the National officers and Lagos Chapter Executives of the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators during a courtesy visit to the association’s Secretariat in Lagos on Tuesday, the National president of NIFFCB, Dr. Zebulon Ikokide said that the appeal was necessary so as not to allow the positive contributions of the Freight forwarding industry to be tarnished through…

Plans are underway to upgrade the premier maritime training Academy in Nigeria, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in Akwa Ibom state to university. The Rector of the Academy, Mr. Joshua Okpo who made this known while speaking with journalists on the sideline of the 2014 National conference and Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in Lagos last Weekend. Okpo who was represented at the conference by Mrs. Alice Mkpandiok disclosed that the bill to that effect was already on the floor of the National Assembly. He also noted that some new courses had…

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria has indicated its intention to get the National Assembly to pass its bill into law so as to further accord legitimacy and recognition to its activities in the country. Speaking on the sideline of the 2014 National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Institute in Lagos, weekend, the President of the Institute, Major Gen. Umar Usman (rtd.) stated that once the institute succeeded in domesticating the Act in Nigeria, there would be no limit to how far the institute could go. He said, “ I led the team of few…

The Federal Government and the Enugu State Government have concluded plans to site a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the state to fully maximize the full benefits of the international status of the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu. Also, being considered by the government is making the airport a transshipment air cargo port to service the West African sub-region as well as other South east states in the country. Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, revealed last week in Enugu that president Goodluck Jonathan would soon grant his official approval for the project. Speaking while the Executive Council of the National…

Ignorance could be worse than illiteracy in legislative duties and policy drafting because illiteracy is pardonable especially when originally established. But ignorance is a cheap excuse that is very expensive and therefore not pardonable. Unfortunately, this is where 90 percent of the nation’s political class find themselves. This explains the parlous leadership condition the electorates are made to contend with. In leadership, a good leader is a pathfinder who understands the path being threaded in order to guide his or her followers. And since the return of democratic regime in 1999, Nigerians have always had lawmakers and policy makers whose…