The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • NIMASA leads sub-regional regulator chart

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) tops the Port and Flag State Control chart in West and Central Africa.

    It beats other regulators in the inspection of vessels, according to a report by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control for West and Central Africa, known as Abuja MoU, the apex regional treaty on ports control.

    The feat, according to NIMASA Director-General (DG) Dr. Dakuku Peterside, is part of the dividends of reforms initiated by the agency and its investment in  equipment.

    “In NIMASA, we are conscious of global best practices and determined to rid our waterways of all substandard vessels, with the ultimate aim of ensuring a safe and robust maritime domain. This will afford us the capacity to be a competitive player in the global maritime space, giving us an edge in the comity of maritime investment destinations,” Peterside said.

    According to the MoU, Nigeria dominated vessels inspection, with 13 of the 14 exercises carried out on the continent last year. But it also showed “a significant rise” in deficiencies as 727 vessel deficiencies were recorded last year, as against 587 in 2017. This was attributed to increased enforcement, with Nigeria in the lead with 339 deficiencies.

    Read Also: NIMASA donates to flood victims in Anambra

    An analysis of the MoU’s performance between 2010 and last year indicated an improvement on member-nations’ discharge of their duties.

    Peterside attributed Nigeria’s feat to the initiatives introduced by NIMASA, the Abuja MoU’s administrator, and the availability of vessels for officers to carry out their duties.

    He pledged the agency’s commitment to safety and innovation in line with global best standards. “The agency has no intention of taking anyone out of business; rather, we are here to assist ship operators by creating a conducive environment. We will not fail to clamp down on erring operators  in our bid to safeguard the country’s maritime environment for the good of all,” Peterside said.

    Following the international requirement for countries to inspect at least 15 per cent of foreign vessels entering their domains, NIMASA inspected over 600 vessels. This, analysts said, led to a reduction of vessels with deficiency from 18.99 percent in 2015 to 14 percent last year.

    Sixteen countries signed the Abuja MoU at a Ministerial Conference in Abuja on October 22, 1999.

    The Abuja MoU’s duty entails the harmonisation of the port state control procedure and practices of all West and Central African countries to eliminate the operation of substandard shipping and ensure maritime safety, security, protection of the marine environment from pollution, and improvement in the working and living conditions of the crew.

    Its members are Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, and Togo.

  • Tin Can Customs makes N179b

    Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has processed a total of 150,930 metric tons of export with free on board (FOB) value of N68.88 billion from the port between January and June.

    This is compared to 118,452mt of goods exported through the port with FOB of N63.10 billion within corresponding period of 2018.

    Baba Abdullah Musa, the command’s Controller, also said his unit generated a total revenue of N179.2 billion in the first half of 2019.

    The half-year revenue figure, which represents 52.28 percent of its annual target, is N6.7 billion higher than the N172.5 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2018.

    A statement by Tin Can Port Customs Public Relations Officer, Uche Ejesieme, said efforts were in top gear to prevent smuggling and other infractions

    “The command is leaving no stone unturned in the area of anti-smuggling in view of the devastating effect of smuggling to the nation and its implications on lives and security. Consequently, deliberate and concerted efforts are being made to ensure that examination and releasing officers remain proactive in the discharge of their statutory functions,” Musa was quoted saying in a statement by Ejesieme.

    He noted that during the period under review, the command recorded seizures of 5 x 40ft and 4 x 20ft containers comprising of various non-custom goods such as used tyres and used rims, bags of rice, cartons of Tramadol and other pharmaceuticals with a total duty paid value (DPV) of N1.15 billion.

    Read Also: Customs loses 200 personnel yearly in anti-smuggling fight

    According to the statement, the command is also upholding trade facilitation through regular stakeholder engagement and feedback, dispute resolution committee, time release studies, help desk, one-stop-shop as well as fast track facilities.

    “Efforts are in top gears at finding actionable modalities for the use of barges in transferring cargo from the mother port to off-dock terminals, with a view to reducing congestion and speed up cargo delivery, as cargo throughput is increasing, and road infrastructure overstretched,” Musa said.

    In similar vein, the NCS Ports Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Command  made N75,706,005,990 between January and last month.

    The mid-year collection, according to the Customs Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Yakubu, is 30.7 percent higher than the N57,902,029,534 collected the same period last year.

    Yakubu attributed the increase to higher volume of trade and the policy of the Area Controller, Florence Dixon, to prevent revenue loss and facilitate trade.

    He added that increased diligence on the part of the command’s officers also boosted its output.

    A breakdown of the collection showed monthly increase in the year compared to what was collected same period last year.

    The command recorded 49 percent increase in January with a collection of N14,850,154,616 against N9,967,751,491 collected in January, last year.

    It recorded 38 per cent increase in February, this year with N10,024,673,259 as against N7,267,306,206. In March, it collected N11,853,972,028, which is 41 per cent more than N8,421,060,484 of last year.

    Between April and June, the Command collected N13,282,567,334, N12,352,449,543 and N13,342,189,210 with  22,13.7 per cent and 26.8 per cent increase above N10,858,205,216, N10,866,889,939 and N10,520,816,198.

  • Experts knock ban on vehicle import through borders

    How has the ban on vehicle import through land borders fared?

    It has failed to meet its objectives, say experts.

    An importer, Chief Edwin Akwaeze, said the policy had failed to yield results two years into its implementation. He also said the policy was encouraging smuggling and unemployment.

    He added that the government was losing a lot of revenue.

    Akwaeze said the policy had only put the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under intense anti-smuggling pressure, adding that seized vehicles in Customs warehouses nationwide are rotting away.

    “There is nothing wrong in trying a policy, but where you find it unfavourable, you have to reconsider your position. While Customs are preventing smuggling of vehicles, many smuggled vehicles still enter the country.

    “What they succeed in seizing along the roads is meagre compared to what escapes their surveillance into Nigeria.

    “The argument that they are encouraging the use of Nigerian ports for vehicular imports also does not hold. Efforts should rather be made to make the ports more competitive, user-friendly and efficient.

    “We must ask ourselves what is Cotonou and Cameroun doing that we are yet to do? Why are vehicle importers avoiding our ports? We have to rework our policies.

    Read Also: Be careful online, experts warn

    “We are the largest market in West and Central Africa with the largest consumption of automobile cargo. Nothing justifies our ports being less attractive.

    “ Trade growth and economic development take more of tact and strategy than hard punitive policies. We stopped vehicles from paying duties at borders and the ones we seized are not available for citizens to buy or transparently dispensed through auction.

    Akwaeze also said many jobs have been lost to the policy, which took effect since January 2017. The prohibition order covers new and used vehicles.

    The ban was sequel to a presidential directive restricting vehicle imports to the country sea ports only. The order took effect from January 1, 2017.

    The restriction on vehicles import followed that of rice, whose imports have been banned through the land borders since April 2016.

    Akwaeze said the ban on rice through borders has failed as; according to him, smuggled foreign rice dominate the markets despite huge rice seizures made by the NCS.

    Former Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents Chairman, Alhaji Dele Azeez said the working of connectivity programme between Nigeria and Benin Customs may cause the government to rescind the ban.

    Azeez said the success of the scheme might encourage the government because vehicles declared in Benin as destined for Nigeria are expected to be captured in Customs data base of both countries.

    This, according to him, would make it difficult for smuggling to thrive.

    He added: “We are hoping that the scheme works with the other importation it is being tested with.

    “We also have the challenge of human factor. When people comply, it becomes easier. I want to believe Benin Republic officials and business people will comply by handing over transit goods destined for Nigeria to our Customs

    “If that is done, we will make progress faster and I am optimistic;  the government may reconsider its position on the ban on vehicle through borders.’’

  • Customs, Strike Force seize N1.818b goods

    The Comptoler-General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force team in the zone seized contraband with over N118 million DPV between May and last month, its Coordinator, Deputy Comptroller Usman Yahaya, has said.

    He praised his team for using available resources to improve the revenue collection in the zone and also suppress smuggling.

    A breakdown of the seized items include 6,580 bags of 50kg rice, 1,292 kegs of 25 litres vegetable oil, 1,607 cartons of frozen poultry, 17 bales of second hand clothing, and used vehicles – one unit of Peugeot 206 and one unit of Fiat bus.

    Yahaya said five trucks loaded with contraband foreign rice (50kg each) were intercepted along Badagry creek.

    He warned smugglers to stay clear of Zone A and embrace the Federal Government’s business policy.

    In another development, operatives of the Federal Op-erations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have seized drugs, vehicles, donkey skin and other goods with over N1.7 billion duty paid value (DPV).

    The unit’s Controller, Aliyu Mohammed, told reporters of his men’s resolve to keep the anti-smuggling tempo high, despite the death of an officer last week.

    Mohammed said a 2019 bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser with N189 million DPV and 15 other high-profile vehicles with N469,702,179 DPV were seized from smugglers in one month.

    Also seized were 1157 cartons of banned codeine syrup worth N405 million; 347 cartons of codeine worth N173.5 million; 348 cartons of diclofenac tablets worth N27.8 million; 1,056 cartons of chest and lungs tablets worth N105,600,000; 49 cartons of paracetamol injections worth N39.2 million and 220kg of substance suspected to be cannabis.

    Donkey skin in 820 sacks worth N77.9 million, new and used textile materials, body lotion, shoes, spaghetti, machetes and used tyres were among the seized items displayed.

    According to Mohammed, while some of the seized drugs were prohibited, others were not registered by the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), making them unfit for consumption.

    Mohammed, who showed how smugglers pack rice in cement trucks, added that his men seized over 25,000 bags.

    ‘’We also have over 25,000 bags of 50kg rice which were seized in the same period . Some of the rice are in our approved checkpoints awaiting evacuation to this place.

    ‘’Look at how cement has rubbed all over the bags of rice. This is why we always ensure that NAFDAC certifies any rice we are giving to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and orphanages. NAFDAC confirmed to us, during some of our due diligence, that some of the rice were not even fit for animal consumption.

  • SOAN: Actualising mariners’ dream of seatime training

    After many years of disappointment and failed promises, the dreams of cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) on having mandatory seatime experience and other related exposures as part of their statutory training programme will shortly be realised.

    This cheering prospect was as good as sealed with the visit of the newly elected President of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Dr. MkGeorge Onyung, to  MAN on a facility tour on June 5. This is yet another proof of renewed interest and attraction the Academy has gained in recent times from stakeholders and affiliate organisations for the rapid restructuring the Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua-led management has brought about.

    Although the Academy has been in existence for 42 years, this is the first time a deal of this nature has been secured by the Academy’s Management.

    Stressing the importance of this, the Academy’s Rector, Commodore Duja Effedua, explained that with this possibility, the benefiting cadets would be exposed to practical life on sea, an experience which they never had, but which is designed to boost their competency and make them marketable across the world in line with international best practices for cadets from maritime academies.

    Commodore Effedua stated that exposure of cadets to seatime on a vessel had become necessary as part of the strategic agenda of restructuring and repositioning of the Academy into a world-class institution, which comprises launching its cadets into the competitive global market.

    The Rector disclosed that the situation he met on resumption of duty was disheartening, considering the years of existence of the Academy. He said they were many abandoned projects and inadequate infrastructure, poor quality of cadets and lack of teaching staff in professional areas, over-bloated cadets population, old and insufficient equipment and low orientation. However, his management team has changed all these into positives, because he realised that one of the major problems of the Academy was leadership that has a sense of direction and passion.

    “To truly merit the name of seafarers as well as meet their professional expectations, cadets must be given proper training in line with international standards. This involves undergoing the compulsory seatime training. And because the present Management of the Academy is after excellence and professionalism of cadets, we went into action to actualise dreams and ensure that our products can stand any test in any part of the world. That is why we are very grateful to the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria for its consistent support and the assurances by the new leadership. Let me mention that the Academy has moved from where it was previously and is gaining respect and recognition,” Commodore Effedua said.

    According to the Rector, steps already taken include infrastructural renaissance, employment of professionals to handle courses, change of mental orientation for cadets; procurement of modern equipment in line with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards, reduction of Cadets’ population to enhance quality, provision of new hostels, modern and functional survival pool and others as well as robust partnership with affiliate bodies on staff capacity-building, etc.

    He noted that, like some other projects, the survival pool that has just been remodelled and completed had been abandoned for 19 years.

    He maintained that his dream is to have foreign cadets and other maritime professionals in the Academy.

    The Academy’s Chief Executive, who thanked the SOAN president for the visit and support in previous years, however, sought more  support, especially in seatime for cadets and engagement in other areas. “The Academy has a great future. We are moving forward. Please help us by making our dreams come true,” the Rector said.    Earlier, Onyung said his decision to visit MAN was motivated by the commitment of SOAN’s Management and the rapid transformation at the Academy. He said: “We have heard so much about your unflinching commitment towards the repositioning and restructuring of the Academy. This is my first time in this place since the establishment of this institution more than 40 years ago; but as I arrived here, I was first captured by the ambience of the Academy’s environment that tells the story from the gate.”

    As part of the facility tour, the SOAN boss visited the 1000-capacity auditorium equipped with sophisticated facilities, Simulation centre, library complex and resource centre, all remodelled to modern taste and completed by the Effedua administration.

    Other places he visited include an ICT centre, academic block and computerised lecture theatres, twin survival pool and a medical centre.

    Addressing the Management after the facility tour, Onyung noted that he was impressed by what he saw, compared to what he heard previously. He said the new structures and ongoing projects were bold signatures of the management. “Let me first commend the Rector and his management team for their vision, commitment and taste for quality. What I have seen is a sharp contrast to the previous stories of poor management, obsolete or complete lack of quality infrastructure, dearth of modern training equipment, half-baked cadets and inadequate professionals to handle core maritime courses. I can say that the Academy has a future. It is on course. I am quite satisfied. This is what gives us the courage and incentive to encourage this institution the more. It points to the fact that with the right person in the right place, things can work in this country,” the SOAN boss added.

    Onyung promised that SOAN would continue to support the Academy to boost its transformation and plans, especially in  seatime training. He pledged that modalities would be developed to strike a strong partnership with other affiliate groups to ensure that qualified cadets from the Academy have seatime on vessels and exposure to the wider world.

    “When I hear you (Rector) speak, I feel like shedding tears for the passion you have for the Academy. I feel proud that the Federal Government finally has found a man like you, a seasoned and renowned naval officer, a purpose-driven and core professional in the maritime sector, to man this great institution whose dreams have been stunted over the years. The cadets are our collective succession plan. There is no moral justification for us not to have them properly trained on board and other areas. Giving them adequate training and exposure will also boost the maritime industry and create more opportunities for exports. We must have competent hands to handle our ships and equipment. This Academy, therefore, cannot be toyed with. We all must be seen as stakeholders and shareholders. It is, therefore, our determination to support you, and we sure will, particularly in connection with vessels for seatime. “

    Onyung was accompanied on the visit by the Chairman, Technical Committee of SOAN, Dr. Lucky Akhiwu.

    It would be recalled that two months ago, the immediate past Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi also visited the Academy for the first time and inaugurated over 10 projects built by the Effedua administration.

    Like the Rector always says: “I am in the Academy to prove a point. I am here to give hope to the maritime industry in Nigeria. This Academy must launch into the global market.”

     

    • Okpo is a journalist, maritime commentator and public affairs analyst based in Uyo.

  • Hurdles before Nigeria, Benin Customs pact

    The connectivity pact between Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Customs of Benin Republic will boost trade facilitation, observers have said. But they are worried by the bad state of the Lagos-Seme Road, its numerous checkpoints and extortion of money from traders by security men, among others, which may impede the agreement, MUYIWA LUCAS writes.

    The euphoria in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin can be understood. 

    For the first time, the West African neighbours have signed a bilateral connectivity agreement aimed at ensuring that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Benin counterpart work together. The deal will also ensure trade facilitation between both countries and reduce trans-border crimes.

    NCS Comptroller-General Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), at the launch of the joint customs connectivity programme, charged stakeholders to declare their consignment honestly.

    “This will not only facilitate trade, but will also curb trans-border crimes.We had a challenge with language, but we have scaled that hurdle. This is a unique development for both countries. This system will weed out all false declarations. If you want your imports and exports to be treated fast, you must make honest declarations. This will bring an end to illicit trafficking,” Col. Ali declared at the launch, which held at the ECOWAS building in Seme.

    He added that the countries must tackle smuggling.

    For him, the actualisation of the programme has positioned the Customs of both countries to tell others at the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Meeting that “we are the first two customs administrations to achieve this even in the face of language and other challenges”.

    But what Ali will not tell the Customs at the WCO meeting is the impediments to the laudable feat. These include bad roads from Mile 2 to Seme border. Besides this are the activities of other security agencies, including the Customs and Immigration Service personnel, on the road.

    While Ali may feign ignorance of the extortion on this road, what he cannot deny is the parlous state of the road, because shortly after the event, he and his convoy  drove on the same road out of Seme.

    There is no gainsaying that economic activities on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway have been paralysed due to the bad road and checkpoints. The road, which is a major one that leads to Benin Republic and other West African countries, is riddled with gullies, making a journey of 35 minutes from Agbara to Badagry to last three hours.

    A trip to the Seme border to witness the launch by The Nation presented a first-hand experience. Not less than 22 checkpoints, manned by various security personnel dotted the stretch of the impassable portion of the road between Igboelerin and Seme Border.

    Earlier in the year, the former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, decried the multiple checkpoints on Lagos-Badagry-Seme road. Amaechi, who spoke with reporters on arrival from a trip outside the country, expressed disappointment that before getting to the Nigerian border, a traveller would have to contend with 17 checkpoints manned by several security agencies, a  contrast with what he saw in the neighbouring Benin and Togo.

    “I asked at the regional meeting that why is it that we saw four checkpoints on the way to Togo from Benin. The security officer at Lome apologised, saying they usually had two checkpoints, but due to the approaching Nigerian elections, they increased the checkpoints to four,” he told reporters.

     Checkpoints everywhere

    The preponderance of security checkpoints on this road, according to an insider, is not unconnected to the inability of the country’s port system to accommodate the huge imports through the Nigerian waters. This included the dreaded Lagos Port roads that have remained a nightmare for operators. This development is said to have led to the diversion of many cargoes to neighbouring countries for onward movement into the country through the land border.

    By extension, there began the gradual return of more security agencies that did not have checkpoints on the route. Officers and men of the Nigeria Police, NCS, NIS, among others, now dot the land border road stretch of Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

    For Col. Ali, the checkpoints may be an embarrassment. This is because he had earlier ordered a drastic cut of them. For instance, before his directive, which reduced the number of Customs checkpoints to the three approved ones at Gbaji, Agbara and the last between Badagry and Mowo, there were over 30 checkpoints by the Customs alone.

    Before Col. Ali’s directive, Police mounted several checkpoints; NIS had no presence until the Ebola outbreak. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had no stationary checkpoint then, but maintained a mobile stop-and-check.This reporter observed that the NIS, which is supposed to be stationed at the border only, now has about three checkpoints going to Seme and about five on the return route.

    Extortion

    The level of extortion on this road is unparalled. Along the road, security personnel make huge money daily, which in effect makes life difficult for commuters plying the axis. For instance, depending on the vehicle capacity and its content, a minimum of N300 is paid daily at each checkpoint. Upon the payment, the driver is issued a number which will later serve as his “gate pass” for a certain period, Once a new set of security personnel takes over the spot, the number is seen to have expired and another payment due.

    Returning from Seme, this reporter witnessed first-hand incidents where officials of the FRSC, who mounted checkpoints extorted money from motorists through a civilian proxy. When the driver of the Sienna vehicle in which The Nation rode refused to “cooperate” with the FRSC officials, he was asked to come down for checks and only allowed to go upon identifying himself as a retired policeman. He was later to inform his passengers that each vehicle pays the officials N200 per shift, which he said is usually two. Failure to pay leads to delay or arrest. There is also the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NAFDAC), Quarantine Service and some other uniformed agencies.

    The large numbers of community youths mounting under the guise of fixing the bad road just before Gbaji, also demand money from motorists.

    A cab operator between Igboelerin and Seme, who identified himself as Shakiru, told this reporter that heading to Seme is a child’s play compared to when coming to Lagos from Seme.

    “The troubles we face with these checkpoints on our way to Lagos from Seme is worse than when coming. This is why we charge N1,000 per head when returning to Lagos as against N500 when going to Seme,” Shakiru said.

    He said extortion on the way back to Lagos was the reason most vehicles carry illegal goods like rice and bales of used clothes, among others, to augment their earnings because whether they carry such goods or not, they must “settle” at all checkpoints along the corridor.

    Economic sabotage

    Already, fears of Nigeria being shortchanged in the collaboration are rife. A Customs licensed agent, who craved for anonymity for fear of being a target by others, told The Nation that while the Republic of Benin will maximise the benefits from the initiative to her fullest advantage, the same cannot be said of Nigeria. He based his submission on the state of the road and the extortion at the numerous checkpoints from Seme to Mile 2.

    “That road and the over 20 checkpoints mounted on it is a great disservice to business, the economy and the newly signed Connectivity agreement between the two countries. Benin will benefit fully while Nigeria will not. Go and see the state of Benin port access roads and the number of checkpoints on their port access road, then you will have a clear understanding of what I am talking about,” the clearing agent said.

    Connectivity concept

    The connectivity programme is a collaborative border management system that involves data exchange at Seme Border. The new system it is believed will help to achieve information and data exchange through an intermediate server managed by Webb Fontaine Nigeria Limited. The technical team said the system will involve information sharing and feedbacks from both ends.

    The Nigerian Trade Portal domiciled in Abuja was used to demonstrate the working of the syste. It shows how transit goods declaration made in the Cotonou Port could be assessed in Nigeria.

    Transit goods destined for Nigeria but landed in the port of Cotonou will have all relevant information about importer, nature of consignment, time of arrival, commodity code, commodity description, number of packages, marks, numbers and details about containers used.

  • Customs resolves 140 duty paid value disputes

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) has resolved over 140 duty paid Duty Paid Value (DPV) issues at the Tin Can Island Port.

    The panel settled cases between January and last month, Tin Can Island Customs Command spokesman Uche Ejesieme said in a statement.

    Ejesieme urged importers and their clearing agents with issues with documentation to take their cases to the panel.

    He said: “This year alone, we have resolved over 140 cases in the DRC either for or against, all we want is for you to come up with empirical evidence

    “The committee is made up of almost all the egg heads of the command; we have the APM (Asycuda Project Manager) as a member, Deputy Comptroller Revenue, Deputy Comptroller Valuation, Officer in charge of Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) is a member, two other senior officers who are actually good in classification and valuation are members. It is an unbiased committee headed by DC Valuation.”

    Ejesieme denied that the command has introduced “duty benchmark” for containers, saying, the NCS was still having challenges with clearing agents who refused to make genuine declarations.

    According to him, the core factor that can make for easy facilitation of trade is compliance with laid down rules and procedures.

    Freight, he said, varied from country to country, noting that Customs expects importers and their agents not to pay anything lesser than what is due.

    Once an agent or importer collects his Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), he can easily calculate the duty if he made a true declaration in the first place, Ejesieme said.

    “Some people would also come and ignorantly demand that every 20-foot container pays N800,000, but do you know that some 20-foot containers can actually pay N30 million. So we don’t operate a benchmark in Tin Can, it is actually a risk profiling process that we are operating, to ensure that areas of leakages are not created anywhere. It is the minimum duty we expect you to pay, having checked all the variables in terms of the cost insurance and freight,” he explained.

  • Operator, agent disagree over use of Lilypond terminal

    The conversion of the Lilypond Terminal, Ijora to a truck park will not yield results, an agent has said.

    According to former Chairman, Tin Can 2 Chapter of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Olufemi Olabanji, terminal operators and shipping companies may frustrate the initiative for selfish motives.

    Besides, the park will lead to port congestion as the concessionaire and sister shipping line Maersk Line will frustrate the process through man-made and handling equipment delays, he added.

    He said the port concessionaire did not have enough handling equipment to position containers and load them onto trucks, leading to the long queue of the trucks which spill on to the road.

    Olabanji said despite the government’s efforts, trucks going into the terminal would still line the roads because of inadequate handling equipment.

    He said if the concessionaire were to position 1,000 containers daily, it would only succeed in positioning 300 because of lack of equipment.

    He called on the government to constitute a committee to look into the activities of the terminal operators.

    But, to a terminal operator, APMT, only a holistic approach to Apapa gridlock and port congestion would resolve the menace.

    Its Managing Director, Martins Jacob, said the major challenges in Apapa were lack of access and bad roads and the absence of an efficient traffic management system.

    He said identifying and allowing only truckers with valid transactions into the port as well as monitoring and removing idling or broken down trucks from the roads were a challenge.

    “The poor state of trucks coming to the port, which makes it difficult to service them, causes a number of breakdowns affecting the terminal operations. Fatigue on the part of the drivers after the long wait on the port access road also has potential to cause accident leading to more gridlock,” he added.

  • ‘Why we focus on exports to Asia’

    Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura of Area Command, Apapa Port, in this chat with MUYIWA LUCAS, explains why the command takes special interest in Asia-bound consignments. He states why importers and agents must comply with processes for trade facilitation.

    How would you assess the degree of compliance by importers and their agents here?

    There is improvement in compliance level because we seize none compliant consignments as stipulated by law. There are penalties for defaulters to pay.

    What efforts are on ground to prevent leakages?

    The issue is just simple, once you are able to sensitise the officers on their responsibilities and make them work according to the rules and regulations, definitely revenue leakages will stop.

    Can you give an overview of export under your watch? What has it been like between January and now  and what’s the tonnage?

    I cannot give that one instantly, but we’ve put some measures in place. As you know, there is no examination bay for export consignment, so officers have to go out of the port to witness the stuffing of the containers before the containers get to the port and based on some intelligent reports, we are focusing on export to Asian countries and the reason for that is to forestall export of endangered species and some prohibited items on the export prohibition list.

    On trade facilitation, what efforts are on ground to improve on the trade facilitation template you met?

    So many people have asked me about trade facilitation. You have to define what trade facilitation is as far as Nigeria Customs is concerned, because if you are talking to a lay man about trade facilitation, he just thinks you are talking about how fast goods come in and go out of the port, but as far as Customs is concerned, it is beyond that. We are talking of facilitation of legitimate trade, compliant trade, trade that has satisfied all conditions concerning that transaction. So, for those kind of consignments that have complied, will be  accelerated. But if there is need for you to meet some requirement which your importation does not have, we will not allow that to go and the owner of the consignment or the clearing agent will be complaining that people are not facilitating trade. If you have not complied, definitely we will not release. For example, if you import some raw materials, they must get certification form from the office of the National Security Adviser because of the nature of those consignments. So if you import such consignment we will never allow it to go until you have your End User Certificate because apart from revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and whatever, we are also concerned about the security of the nation.

    To what extent are you engaging stakeholders to get them acquainted with all of these?

    My office is open to everybody; every stakeholder is free to come to my office. Their leaders have been coming; we’ve been talking on daily  basis; if they have issues they come and I explain to them and I hope they do same to their members.

    How has your interaction been with other government agencies?

    So far, the ones that I have interacted with since my assumption of office here, they are sister government agencies and I give them all the necessary assistance they need. If they have things to clear or have some things to do with certain things, if they come to me, I take immediate action and I attend to their problems promptly and likewise my subordinate, I ask them to do same.

    Do you experience undue interference by some of these government agencies in Customs operations?

    Naturally, any sister government agencies that is concerned about any consignment, we normally invite them before the examination is done. So, once they partake in that examination they cannot come back and start mentioning issues that they want to see it again, I will not allow that.

    I am talking about when such consignment exit Customs control?

    If it exit Customs control, but not yet out of the port, and they come with complains, I will definitely find out. We have examination report, if they participated in that examination, then I will not oblige them because that will hinder movement of goods. Once examination is done once, it is done and it should go. So if there are issues they will either come before hand to inform us that this is what they are expecting and we will assist them in monitoring it. When it is time for examination they will definitely be there and they partake in the examination. I think since I came I have not experience this kind of interference you are talking of.

  • Josepdam Terminal gets ISO Certification

    THE operator of Terminal A at the Tin Can Island Port Complex, Josepdam Port Services (JPS), has been certified with ISO 9001:2015 by a firm in the United Kingdom.

    ISO 9001:2015 certification is about management system improvement that ensures the management system of the organisation is continuously improving and responding to situation, changes, risks and other measures including regulations.

    The certification is a symbol that the system is compliant to a particular standard of quality management system which means the system of the organisation is compliant to quality and doing the right thing, developing appropriate processes and procedures and complying with it.

    Speaking on the certification at the weekend, the Managing Director, JPS, Simon Travers, enjoined the staff members of the organisation to maintain the momentum and continue to improve on the organisation’s processes and system that led to the successful certification of the ISO 9001:2015.

    Travers, represented by the Port’s General Manager, David Iriabe, praised the staff members of the organisation for their steadfastness in achieving the feat. He said: “We are here to celebrate excellence, hardwork and teamwork because without it, we won’t gather here today.

    “The certification is not a one off thing but a continuous engagement which must show in the way we work, respond to customers, and for the first three years of the certification, I know the staff are more than capable to get the renewal.”

    Also, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) commended the terminal operator for subjecting its processes and procedures to global check and certification.

    The Port Manager, Tin Can Island Port, Emmanuel Apotherhe, however, said the certification is the beginning of success for the company.

    “It is an occasion that gladdens my heart because it is not an easy thing to get certified because it involves someone watching over you and ensure you do the right thing, but I believe its a start of greater things,” he said.