The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • How to grow Maritime Varsity, by ANLCA

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State, promotes human capacity building.

    The university, it said, should develop youths to take up vital maritime jobs.

    ANLCA President Prince Olayiwola Shittu said maritime is a global and lucrative business, stressing that the Federal Government must empower youths and enrich the country through the university.

    Shittu said it was not enough for the President to inaugurate the university, rather the government must ensure that the university employs staff and admits students for academic activities to begin.

    The promoters of the university, he said, must ensure it is alive to its statutory responsibilities.

    The institution, Shittu said, must be made to provide the human capacity required for the sector in addition to serving as a research and knowledge centre for academics and the youths who are interested in the acquisition of maritime training and knowledge.

    He noted that the establishment of the university was in furtherance of NIMASA’s passion for building local capacity in the sector and, ultimately, for the export of manpower. He praised the agency, urging the Federal Government, officials of the Ministry of transport and NIMASA to key into the objectives.

    ANLCA, Shittu said, was happy that NIMASA also sponsored the establishment of maritime institutes in four universities namely, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Niger Delta University, Amasoma, Bayelsa State, and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State to boost maritime education and business in the county.

  • NIWA makes case for water transport business

    How viable is sea transport? The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) believes that this is highly lucrative.

    It takes the initiative to convince the Federal Government on the importance of sea transport and to gear investors interest in the business, it was learnt.

    At a meeting in Abuja,  NIWA’s Managing Director Hajiya Inna Maryam Ciroma, it was learnt, told Transport Minister that the development of the Inland waterways would ensure rapid transformation of the economy. The economy will also become globally competitive and create jobs in the hinterland, which had hitherto been neglected.

    Mrs Ciroma impressed it on the minister that an efficient coastal and inland water system would relieve pressure on the road, adding that the waterways can be used like the rail to transport bulk goods over long distances at low rates.

    She said water transportation is the cheapest mode of transport compared with road, rail and air, adding that it would serve as a means of economic development and an instrument of national integration.

    The NIWA chief argued that the country is blessed with good climate with expansive a land and rivers suitable for movement of people and cargo.

  • NACCIMA decries loss of revenue at borders

    The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has decried  what it calls the huge loss of revenue by its members at borders.

    The chamber said it was also not happy with security at the borders, which, it claimed, has led to a 60 per cent drop in trade among Economic Community West African State (ECOWAS) member countries.

    Its Director-General, Mr. John Isemede, said if the trend was not checked, there was the tendency for the region’s economy to collapse and result in unemployment.

    “Already, the region is facing employment crisis, which if not checked, may lead to problems. There is the need for the governments of the region to tackle these challenges,” he said.

    On a common currency for the region, the NACCIMA chief said the much-talked about economic integration has been elusive for years because the requirements for the convergence couldn’t be met by the participating countries.

    He argued that the region’s import culture has not allowed economic integration to thrive.

    “We are talking of the Common External tariff which will take off next year. We are a sub-region and not a Customs union. For us to be a Customs union, incentives, VAT, import duties, tariff must be the same thing,” he said.

    He said VAT in Nigeria is five per cent, Benin Republic 20 per cent, Ghana 17 per cent and “if we now have all these, why will the borders not be porous and smuggling through because there will a big advantage of routing goods through Nigeria at five per cent. How can we achieve free movement of goods with the differences in VAT?

    “So, all we have to do is to work on our own naira because in the past people were travelling with the naira abroad because it was more or less the single currency in West Africa. If the value of the naira today is N50 to the US$, a lot of experts in America would come back to Nigeria because of the value of the currency.”

  • Shipowners association to hold election

    The Nigerian Indigenous Ship-owners Association (NISA) will hold its general election on October 9, this year.

    Al the offices are open to contest after the pioneer Chairman of the group, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, pleaded with the members to allow him to step down, after a decade of leadership.

    NISA General Secretary Capt. Niyi Labinjo, sources said, has declared his intention to run for the office of the chairman.

    Captain Labinjo said: “I am ready for the NISA battle.”

    He, however, promised to build on the gains inherited from Jolapamo led administration.

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), it was learnt, would conduct the election.

    Chief Jolapamo, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho and Capt. Labinjo conceived the idea of an association that would represent the interests of Nigerian shipowners, and the maritime industry when the Cabotage Law was established in 2003.

  • 13 Customs officers in trouble over seized N600m vehicles

    13 Customs officers in trouble over seized N600m vehicles

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation  Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos has made a huge catch, seizing N600 million worth of exotic vehicles.

    It made the seizure following the bursting of a smuggling ring that specialises in importing vehicles through the seaports without paying duty, The Nation learnt.

    Sources said most of the vehicles, including new 2013 and 2014 models, passed through the Lagos ports without payment of the 35 per cent duty. They added that the importers and clearing agents declared the cargoes as used cars purportedly manufactured in 2006 and 2007 to deceive the Customs and short-change the Federal Government.

    The vehicles include eight 2014 custom-built Rolls Royce, 2013 Mercedes Benz 700, Lexus GX 460, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX.L, BKA bus, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Camry, Infinity QX56, Pajero Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and other expensive brands.

    The market value of the Rolls Royce, security sources said, is about N50 million each and the importer was expected to pay N15 million duty on each vehicle. The importer, it was alleged, paid N1 million to get the vehicles out of the port.

    Some of the vehicles, sources said, had no Customs paper.

    More than 13 officers of the Customs responsible for the release of the vehicles, it was gathered, may be sacked after the probe ordered by Customs Comptroller-General Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi on the matter.

    Some of the vehicles, a source said, were released from the port at night to beat security checks.

    It was learnt that some of the importers used the new number plates on some of the vehicles to beat Customs’ checks on the road. But, unknown to them, Customs officials from the FOU Zone ‘A’ had been monitoring their movement in Lagos for days before swooping on them.

    Some officers of the zone, the source said, used the Customs camouflage, while others were deployed by the Acting Controller, Turaki Usman Adamu, in mufti to trace and track the smuggled vehicles.

    Sources revealed that the command made 336 seizures valued at N107 million in the first 25 days of Turaki’s assumption.

    Turaki confirmed that custom- built vehicles were intercepted by his officers and men, but refused to mention the number and the value. The Customs headquarters had been briefed, he said.

    The Customs chief, however, said following a tip-off, his Lagos Roving Patrol Team (LRPT) also intercepted seven trucks of smuggled textile materials from a warehouse around Oshodi, whose value was yet to be determined.

    “On Thursday, August 14, following a tip-off, the Lagos Roving Patrol Team, intercepted seven trucks of Jumbo bales of suspected textile materials from a warehouse around Oshodi.

    “The trucks have been deposited in the government warehouse for further investigation and to determine the value.

    “I am pleased to inform you that the Unit also recorded  a total of 336 different seizures of assorted offending goods valued at N107,513,308 with a duty of N42,937,110 and 19 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.

    “Between January and August 14, the total amount of revenue as a result of our intervention from ports and border stations stood at N89,337,981.00. It is good to add that between first and 14th of this month, we generated N28,128,140. The amount is higher than that one generated in August last year.

    “Therefore, I am advising smugglers in the Southwest to relocate or else they would face the full wrath of the law.

    “We have spread our dragnets to all the nooks and crannies of our areas of jurisdiction and will not stop at dealing with the menace,” Turaki said.

    Turaki, who said the unit was complementing the efforts of other Customs Commands in ensuring that there was total compliance with the fiscal policies of the Federal Government on trade, however, assured that genuine and compliant importers and their representatives of  support, stressing that the unit is committed to boosting legitimate trade in line with global best practice.

     

  • Ebola: Filipino seafarers banned from landing in Nigeria, others

    Filipino seafarers will not be  allowed to disembark in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa with confirmed cases of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease. The measure is intended to prevent further spread of the deadly disease that has killed over 1,000 persons, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), has said.

    POEA administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency has issued guidelines for seafarers and ship manning firms to arrest the spread of the virus.

    “There will be no shore leave for seafarers and no crew change in the ports of these countries in the meantime,” he said.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” after confirmed cases in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria reached 1,776 as of August 6, this year.

    The death toll hit 961, prompting the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue the guidelines aimed at protecting seafarers who would dock at those infected countries.

    “The guidelines are issued for our seafarers’ welfare and protection. They could be vulnerable to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) due to the unavoidable circumstance where they have to interact with shore-based personnel who come on board ships to perform their respective duties,” DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said in the statement.

    DOLE had also previously banned the deployment of new hires after the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) raised crisis alert level 2 (restriction phase) on July 2.

    POEA guidelines also state that crewmen should be given protective equipment.

    Any signs or symptoms of the disease must be immediately reported to the ship’s medical officer.

    “They shall report those who have fever, headache, intense weakness, joint and muscle pains, and sore throat to their principal/employer who, in turn, are required to coordinate with appropriate international marine medical providers to seek their guidance on ways to manage an EVD contamination on board,” Cacdac said.

    Cacdac further urged ship manning agencies to adopt the following guidelines from several international maritime workers’ organisations:

    The Master must ensure that the crewmen are aware of the risks, how the virus can be spread and how to mitigate the risk;

    The ISPS Code requirements on ensuring that unauthorised personnel are not allowed to board the ship and should be strictly enforced throughout the duration of the ship’s stay in port; and after departure, the crew should be aware of the symptoms and report any occurring symptoms immediately to the persons/authorities in charge of medical are onboard.

    Philippines is the largest supplier of seafarers in the world. There were 460,000 Filipino seafarers as at the end of 2013.

    Filipinos are employed as seamen worldwide, more than any other nationality.

    One out of every five seamen in the world is a Filipino.

  • PAAR is working, says ANLCA

    PAAR is working, says ANLCA

    The President, Association of  Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, has said the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is working.

    The ANCLA chief told The Nation that the challenges facing the agents were caused by human errors which would be addressed by the Customs.

    ANLCA, he said, was not against the new guidelines, urging other stakeholders to key into it.

    Shittu also urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to security at the ports, especially the Tin Can Port, Lagos where touts and ‘port rats’ are a nuisance.

    Shittu said many unwanted persons entered the port daily, despite recent efforts by Customs.

    Shittu said the call became necessary because the sector was the second largest source of revenue after oil and gas.

    Besides, he said multinationals and others who invest in the industry, pay huge taxes or duties and import charges into the Federal Government’s account.

    He said poor facilities, incessant sea piracy and insecurity at the ports could scare away investments  and hamper port operations.

    He further said importers and clearing agents were not left out of the menace.

    Shittu said the gridlock on the major roads to and within the ports and insecurity were some of the problems that needed to be addressed to sustain investments and growth in the sector.

    “The high level of insecurity at the seaports has become so widespread that, every importer must have, at one time or the other, experienced losses arising from theft within or on the roads that lead to the ports. As a Nigerian, I think it is not too much to ask the government to secure our ports,” he added.

  • Council seeks to register terminal operators

    Terminal operators have  been directed to register with  the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for accurate measurement of their performances and investments, The Nation has learnt.

    The agency, it was gathered, has also deployed over 30 of its officers to monitor terminal operators and shipping firms to ensure sanity in the ports system.

    NSC Executive Secretary Hassan Bello told The Nation that operators must support the Council by allowing its officers free access into their terminals and is releasing information to them.

    He said, henceforth, terminal operators must register with the body, adding that this was part of the port concession agreement signed by operators.

    “By the powers conferred on us, terminal operators have to give us unfettered access to their premises so that we would have supervisory ability to monitor and coordinate any activity within the terms of our instruction from the Federal Government.

    “We will come to you and enter your terminals. We are not going to sit at our own table in the office and carry out this important responsibility; from now on, you will have Shippers Council staff coming round. The idea is not only to supervise your operations, but to also deliver service to you. If you have any complaints, you should tell us and we will intervene.

    “We are also very interested in disclosure; you will have to register with the Shippers’ Council. It is there in the concession agreement; you have to give us certain information and this is also specified, this is what we will use to measure the efficiency of the terminal operator,” Bello said

    Bello urged the operators to be more efficient in cargo  handling.

    “Without the Shippers’ Council, concessionaires will not be able to function,” he said.

    Bello warned operators against bad practices, such as rent-seeking, unnecessary delays of cargoes and  charges, among others.

    “They must not increase their charges without consultation with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. We know that charges are not static, sometimes they go up and sometimes they come down, but we are concerned with the quality of service they render,” Bello said.

    Meanwhile, stakeholders have  called on the government to empower the Council and give the presidential nod for the its new status.

    At a forum organised by the agency in Kaduna, the Director, Monitoring Department of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ibrahim Kashim, said the Council needed to be empowered.

    Also, the Director, Legal Drafting Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, Alhaji Hamzat Alhassan Tahir, said the ministry was looking at powers to enable the Shippers’ Council to act as an economic regulator.

  • Conference holds in Delta

    Conference holds in Delta

    This year’s Shipping Career Summit organised by Ships and Ports Communication Company Limited will hold on Thursday in Effurun, Delta State

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Bolaji Akinola said the summit was to enlighten Nigerians and other investors on the various careers and investment opportunities available in the maritime sector.

    The summit, he said, would also empower participants, especially youths, who would  take advantage of the opportunities through mentoring.

    Akinola said Nigerians should not have any business with poverty or unemployment, considering the vast resources, especially its enormous maritime potential.

    He said the maiden edition of the forum held at the MUSON Centre at Onikan, Lagos, in July 2006.

    He noted that the summit has also been held at Abeokuta, Yenagoa and Makurdi.

    He said Warri was chosen for this year’s event “because of its large population of youths and because it is a natural maritime domain with ports in Warri, Koko and Burutu; a maritime university; several maritime training institutions; the NIMASA shipyard and several shipping operations domiciled in the state.”

    Resource persons for the seminar include former President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Adewale Ishola; Honorary Secretary, Institute of Marine Engineering Science, and Technology (IMarEST), Alex Peters; and President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, Mrs. Jean Chiazor-Anishere.

    Others include Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello and Director-General, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi.

  • 47 smugglers arrested in Owerri

    The Nigeria Customs Service  (NCS) Federal Operations  Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri has arrested 47 smugglers.

    The items seized from the smugglers include 1,617 bags of 50kg and 982 bags of 25kg of parboiled rice, 21 vehicles, 150 cartons of vegetable oil concealed in trucks with dutiable goods and empty gas cylinders, 130 bales of second hand clothing,1,314 cartons of imported frozen chicken and pairs of shoes.

    Its Area Controller, Dimka Victor David, said of the 47 suspected smugglers, 17 had been charged to court and four jailed.

    The Customs chief said the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is N123, 059,600.

    Dimka, who said smugglers have devised several ways to remain in their illicit business, assured that his men were better trained, equipped, mobilised and motivated  deal with smugglers.

    “Since the smugglers have learnt to fly without perching, the reformed Nigeria Customs Service officers and men have learnt to shoot without missing.

    “There is no hiding place for smugglers in Zone C because we will continue to monitor them, follow them, challenge them and get them arrested,” he said.

    Dimka warned those still in smuggling to desist, stressing that once arrested, the law would be brought to bear on them for their unpatriotic action.

    He said he was happy with the reform being carried out by the Comptroller-general of Customs, Alhaji  Abdullahi Dikko, and his management for their sustained assistance to officers and men of the service stating that this has continued to strengthen the performance of the unit.

    The Public Relations Officer of the command, Ifeoma Onuigbo Dimka, said she was happy that some of the stakeholders were complying with import procedures. She sought the support of  the public to give the unit information that could lead to the arrest of smugglers and seizure of their goods.