The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • Labour Minister stops maritime workers’ strike

    The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has averted crisis at the port by stopping the maritime workers’planned strike.

    He met with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to avert the strike.

    The union was planning to shut down the seaports.

    The workers under the dockworkers branch are protesting alleged 13 months unpaid salaries of tally clerks on board security men.

    Sources at the meeting said the NPA requested for time to study the cost implication of the workers’ demand.

    Speaking with The Nation, the President of MWUN, Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel, said if not for the minister’s intervention, the union had concluded plans to shut operations in all ports.

    He said NPA has agreed to pay the aggrieved workers.

    He said the cargo surveyors, which NPA brought allegedly in to supplant members of the union, are unacceptable and represents an attempt to deceitfully take over the job of the dockworkers.

    “Right from the time of Joint Dock Labour Industrial Council and the Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council, the status and responsibilities of dockworkers have always been spelt out,” he said.

    Emmanuel vowed that the MWUN would not relent until the tally clerks and the-on-board security  are paid their salary arrears, which according to him, would be 13 months at the end of the month.

    “On-board security men are involved in watching over cargo to avoid theft and over boarding and to prevent unauthorised shore leave through the gangway by crew members. Their function also helps to prevent attack of vessels in the ports by terrorist and pirates in line with requirement of the ISPS code on port and ship security and safety and that is the reason their salary arrears must be paid,” he said.

  • Fed Govt orders auction of abandoned cargoes at ports

    Fed Govt orders auction of abandoned cargoes at ports

    All abandoned and overtime goods at the ports are to be auctioned by the Federal Government, it has been learnt.

    The Federal Government Committee for Disposal of Overtime/Abandoned Goods has been ordered to sell such cargoes that arrived at the ports on or before May 7.

    A scramble has begun for the acquisition of the goods. Politicians, civil servants and those close to the Customs are said to have shown interest in buying the goods.

    The goods are at Apapa, Tin-Can, Onne, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Lilypond, Kirikiri and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, among others.

    Customs sources told The Nation yesterday, that over 1.500 containers and vehicles may be auctioned.

    At Apapa and Ikorodu terminals, sources said, over 90 and 150 containers have been marked as overtime/abandoned goods.

    Onne port, a source said, has the highest number of abandoned/over time cargoes which may be sold anytime from now.

    “Onne port has more than 1,000 abandoned/overtime containers that may be sold by the government if the owners have not come forward to clear them before June 7, this year,” the source said.

    At the Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), the government directed that over 250 containers be auctioned if the owners failed to meet the deadline.

    Most of those who have shown interest in buying the abandoned goods are top politicians belonging to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), government appointees and senior civil servants.

    When The Nation visited the Lagos ports at the weekend, some politicians were seen making enquiries from top Customs officers.

    A senior Customs officer said since the government ordered the sale, some politicians and civil servants have been making enquiries.

    “Most of these people coming to us to buy these items don’t even consider those who imported them into the country before the goods were trapped inside the ports,” the source added.

    Some of the goods, he said, were imported with tax payers’ money and abandoned at the port because they are sub-standard or prohibited items, which they cannot clear from the port under normal circumstances.

    Some of the items in the containers, the source said, included lace, used clothes, second-hand shoes, bags, truck head, iron rod, angle bar, pipes, gas trucks, rice, furniture, light and other household items.

    Most of the goods, the source said, were abandoned at the ports because they were seized by Customs officials for false declaration, undeclaration, attempt to evade duty, contrabands and demurrage charges by terminal operators.

    Some of the containers, the source said, were caught in the web because the owners were using the port for storage facility.

  • Agents raise alarm over quacks in clearing business

    The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has raised the alarm over quacks parading themselves as freight forwarders at the ports.

    It urged the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to sanitise the sector by eliminating the quacks.

    NAGAFF’s Founder Dr Boniface Aniebonam alleged that the quacks were deceiving the public, urging CRFFN to confront them.

    NAGAFF, Aniebonam said, became worried because CRFFN is not playing its role.

    He noted that CRFFN was established to control freight forwarding practice in the country and wondered why the group is not carrying out its responsibilities.

    He said CRFFN is expected to set standards and code of professional practice among practitioners.

    Aniebonam also urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to enforce import and export regulations of government.

    “If such regulations were not enforced, the country’s economy will continue to nosedive into unprecedented poverty,” he added.

    “We also suggest and advise the Customs service and other regulatory agencies of government to adopt the concept of corrective measures, instead of outright seizure of defaulting goods.’’

    He said the nation’s ports and border posts require commercial regulator.

    “The need for a port regulator is key and strategic to our growth and development,” Aniebonam said.

  • Dangote urges govt to build more ports

    Dangote urges govt to build more ports

    The President, Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, has urged the Federal Government to improve the manufacturing sector and build more seaports.

    Dangote gave the advice in Lagos, at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Business Group Lunch.

    Dangote, represented by group’s Managing Director, Mr Joseph Makoju, decried the over-dependence on crude oil.

    He said the manufacturing sector needed to be lifted to a level where there would be competition in the production of basic needs.

    “We will only be able to enjoy the dividends of Foreign Direct Investment if Africans and Nigerians are taking the lead in the sector.

    “There is a need for the establishment of durable industrial clusters, long-term development funds, rehabilitation of major roads, rail and alternative seaports.

    “Import tariff should also be increased in the areas where we have comparative advantage, and the menace of smuggling needs to be urgently tackled,’’ he added.

     

  • ‘N9.7b rice smuggled into Nigeria monthly’

    ‘N9.7b rice smuggled into Nigeria monthly’

    ABOUT 1.6 million bags of rice worth N9.7 bil-lion are smug-gled into the country monthly from Benin Republic, a group, Trans-Border Traders Association of Nigeria (TBTA), has said.

    It appealed to the Federal Government to lift the ban on the importation of the commodity through land borders.

    The National Co-ordinator of the association, Alhaji Mikky Okunola, said the ban has impacted negatively on investors and the government’s initiatives to encourage local rice production.

    In 2011, the Federal Government, in its determination to block revenue loopholes, banned the importation of rice through land borders.

    Okunola said if rice was allowed through the seaports only, it waould be available at reasonable prices. And no one would evade duties and levies.

    He said genuine importers were required to pay duties and levies, which those engaged in smuggling evade. According to him, this makes smugglers to sell at market price and make excessive profit, or slightly below the market price to undercut honest importers.

    He said the policy was aiding rice smuggling, urging the Federal Government to reverse it.

    Okunola, however, praised the Seme Border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) on its efforts to curtail smuggling. He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to lift the ban on rice importation through land borders to reduce smuggling.

    He said the raids carried out by Customs at Seme were in order, stating that it was the duty of the Customs to sanitise operations within its legitimate environment.

     

  • NIMASA: Cabotage’ll create jobs

    NIMASA: Cabotage’ll create jobs

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said the agency was committed to providing employment for Nigerians through the Cabotage Law.

    Speaking with The Nation, the NIMASA boss said the agency’s investment in seafarers’training and facilitation of the establishment of institutes of maritime studies in four universities were indications of its commitment to building capacity for the industry.

    Akpobolokemi appealed to stakeholders to encourage youths to seek careers at sea.

    He said: “The overwhelming interest showed by youths in seafaring calls for support from stakeholders in the maritime sector to assist in capacity development, especially in onboard training.

    “We, at NIMASA, have been placing cadets’ onboard Cabotage vessels as part of mandatory requirements for obtaining their Competency Certificates.”

    He described the submission of Nigeria’s instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as an indication to his agency’s commitment to the welfare of seafarers.

     

  • ‘Explore opportunities in free trade zones’

    ‘Explore opportunities in free trade zones’

    The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu has called on stakeholders in the maritime sector to utilise investment opportunities at the Free Trade Zones (FTZs) across the country.

    The ANLCA chief made the call while speaking with The Nation, last week.

    Shittu stressed that the free trade zones are suitable for port development, ship building and repairs, as well as offshore logistcs and support activities.

    Speaking on the opportunities of the zone, Shittu said that the population of Nigeria is about 150 million and that of the surrounding West African economic community is about 500 million.

    But the local industry, he said, is fragile and more than 90 per cent of the products rely on import, so the market potential is considerable; the second, he said, is the favourable export advantages.

    According to him, Nigeria is a signatory state of the Lome Convention. So, the products made in Nigeria are entitled to exporting to Europe and the United States, enjoying no quota restrictions and low tariff.

    He also urged the Federal Government to institute policies such as tax holidays and duty exemptions for materials used in the ship making/repair industry.

    Shittu said Nigeria would benefit immensely from such policies due to the large number of ships that berth at its seaports yearly.

    He said the nation’s maritime sector provides enormous wealth and employment opportunities.

    “Nigeria is a coastal state. The advantages of her coastline and integrated road network from the southern belt connecting the seaports and oil terminals of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Bonny and Brass to the northern frontiers of the country presents a solution to the demands of cargo traffic and logistics needs of inland countries which share land mass with Nigeria and her coastal neighbouring states,” he said.

    According to him, Nigeria’s 900 nautical miles coastline provides enormous opportunities for its citizens.

     

  • Industrialists condemn adelays

    TThe delays at the Apapa Lagos port in Lagos since the takeover of scanning by Global Scan Systems Limited (GSSL) are affecting members of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the group has said.

    LCCI said its members now pay huge amounts as demurrage with the attendant implications on the cost of borrowed funds, production schedules and inability to meet contractual timelimes, among others.

    Its Director-General, Mr Muda Yusuf, told reporters in Lagos that the chamber was worried over the complaints of its members about the challenges the destination inspectors at the port pose to their businesses.

    “Our members are complaining of the very serious congestion that has resulted from the change in the inspection agents at the port. Clearly, the new company that has taken over does not have the capacity that the previous company has, that is now comparing Cotecna with Global Scan, and this is taking quite a very serious toll on businesses. People are complaining about demurrage which they have to pay and this has implications for cost.

    “They are complaining about speed of delivery to factories – raw materials and things that have been stuck in the port. They are complaining also about the cost of fund because most of these cargos are brought in through borrowed funds and the longer they stay at the port the more interest you have to pay to the bank. So, from all angles it is really a very unfortunate situation,” Yusuf said.

    Yusuf expressed disappointment in the Minister of Finance for favoring the move for Global Scan to take over from Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited despite the resulting odds against port reforms.

    “It came to us as a surprise that Finance Minister who we see as a champion of the reform of the port has issued the directive that Global Scan should take over from Cotecna.

    “We don’t have anything against any organization but for a strategic port such as the Apapa Port what should be paramount is the capacity to deliver in the choice of any agent that take the role of inspection agents or even any role for that matter in that port.

    The port is too strategic for any government or any person to be using as a platform for patronage because the implication for the economy is quite enormous,” he said.

    But speaking with The Nation, the image maker of ClobalScansystems, Mr Adile Iroajugh said the company is doing its best to facilitate trade at the port.

    He said the scanner they are working with was handed over to them by Cotecna and that they have scanned over 2,200 containers since the site was handed over to them few weeks ago.

    He said, his company is also working on the scanner to make it more effective and boost cargo clearance at the port.

     

  • How smugglers beat Customs checks

    Despite Customs efforts to stop the illicit trade, the importation of rice through land borders is still thriving, investigation has revealed.

    Smugglers ferry the commodity through bush paths in Idiroko, Owode, Apa, Oguntedo, Ketu Adie-Owe, Lusada in Ogun State.

    It was learnt that there is a rise in the trade because of the commodity’s high price.

    Rice sells for between N10,000 and N13,000 per bag. It was between N5,000 and N5,500, before the government banned its importation through the land borders.

    The smugglers sell the commodity for between N8,000 and N8,200 at Mowo Junction from where they move the commodity to Agbara, Okokomaiko,Alaba Rago, Owode, Lusada, Agbara, Atan, Igbesa and Sango Ota.

    The commodity sells for between N8,600 and N9,000 per bag, depending on the grade.

    One of the traders at Badagry roundabout, who craved anonymity said many of them evade arrest because Customs does not know all the routes.

    She said: “If I tell you that there is no upsurge in rice smuggling since the Federal Government banned rice importation through the land borders, I will be telling lies. There is an upsurge because the same government that banned rice importation through the land borders has done virtually nothing to bring the price down in the market.”

    Major rice importers in Lagos are making between N3,500 and N4,000 on a bag, sources said.

    The landing cost of a 50-kilogramme bag of rice is between N5,000 and N5,500 depending on the grade.

    But the importers sell for between N10,000 and N13,000.

  • Anenih pledges to revamp NPA

    The Board of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has assured the stakeholders of effective service delivery.

    It made this pledge during a visit to the 100-year-old River Port in Port Harcourt.

    NPA Chairman Chief Tony Anenih, represented by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, promised to make the seaports world standard.

    Anenih said the board would do all within its powers to ensure that the seaports lived up to the expectations of the government, the stakeholders and the public in terms of service delivery and contributions to the growth of the economy.

    He praised the NPA staff for sustaining the River Port in the last 100 years of its existence and solicited for their support.

    A Director, Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan’Agundi, urged the management of the Eastern Ports to devise strategies of increasing the tempo of activities in the ports in the region and raise their revenue generation.

    He expressed concern that the Ports in the Eastern region do not enjoy the patronage they deserve, even though majority of the importers are from the region. He added that the Board was determined to reverse the trend, with a view to making the port attractive for business.

    The Managing Director NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, who was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operation, David Omonibeke, said the tour of the directors was to enable them see the operation of the authority and to interact with the workers and other stakeholders.

    Also, the Acting General Manager, Eastern Ports, Mr Dele Alabi, told the directors of the characteristics of ports in the region, the cargos they handle and their challenges.

    He noted that despite their challenges, the region are important in to the nation, especially their catchment areas.

    Other Directors on the tour were Senator Lekan Mustapha and Mr Abana Mohammed Gidado.