The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • Shipping firms plan N30b refund to importers, agents

    On-going negotiations between shipping companies and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) will lead to refund of over N30 billion to importers and clearing agents, it was learnt at the weekend.

    The negotiation, it was gathered, was based on the fear that the Supreme Court may rule in favour of the Council in a suit challenging the alleged imposition of arbitrary charges on users of shipping services.

    No less than N600 billion may be refunded by the shipping firms, being accumulated levies collected over the years.

    The Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court had earlier given judgment in favour of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and slammed a N1 trillion fine on the shipping companies and terminal operators.

    Speaking with The Nation in relation to the meetings, the Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Kayode Farinto, said the Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, remains committed to protecting the interests of users of shipping services in Nigeria. On the allegations of unauthorised levies imposed on shippers by terminal operators and ship owners, Farinto said the justice system in the country works slowly, but added that the shipping companies are making moves to shield themselves from the sledge hammer of the law. He expressed confidence that the negotiation will  lead to resolution  of issues.

    Although the ANLCA chief lamented the slow dispensation of justice in Nigeria, he said the delay was responsible for the inability of the NSC to speedily resolve issues bordering on reversal of illegally collected charges.

    Farinto reiterated that the court of first jurisdiction had awarded a charge of N1 trillion against the  operators and shipping companies on the excess charges collected from importers and agents within the period they increased terminal charges and shipping fees without due consultation with relevant government agencies.

    “The justice system is very slow. The court had determined at the first instance that the illegal levies amounted to over N1 trillion and money was to be paid to the system before it went to the Court of Appeal. While the case is still pending, the amount of the illegal levies collected so far is in the region of N7 trillion.”

    Shippers Council, he said, was not the one that went to court; they took the agency to court. “I do agree that the amount to be paid by the shipping companies can be negotiated through consultation and dialogue because there is no way you can unilaterally or arbitrarily impose charges and say this is my charge, it must be negotiated and approved by the agencies representing the government at ports,” he added.

    A senior official of NSC, who craved anonymity, said the council was open to out-of-court settlement, but added that the most important thing is for the stakeholders to be carried along and the need for the shipping companies to obey the laws of the country.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had in a 2014 judgment declared that the Shipping Line Agency Charges (SLAC) levied and collected from Nigerian shippers by shipping companies since 2006 was illegal.

    “The Court, therefore, ruled that the shipping companies should account and pay to Nigerian shippers all monies or fees charged and collected since 2006 as SLAC from shippers or users of shipping/port related services from 2006 to date, which ran into several billions of naira.

    “In a landmark judgment by Justice Buba Ibrahim, sitting at the Federal High Court, Lagos, in Suit No. FHC/CS/1646/2014 – Alraine Shipping Agencies (Nig) Ltd & ORS Vs Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Suit No. FHC/CS/1704/2014 – Apapa Bulk Terminal Ltd & ORS Vs Nigerian Shippers’ Council, he affirmed the appointment of the Nigerian Shippers Council as the Economic Regulator of the ports and dismissed the claims of shipping companies and the terminal operators.

    “Pursuant to the appointment of the Nigerian Shippers Council as the Economic Regulator Government, in line with the executive powers of the president in February 2014, the NSC issued notices to both the shipping companies and terminal operators to reverse all illegal charges levied on Nigerian shippers,” the official said.

    Dissatisfied, the shipping companies and the concessionaires, he said, filed an appeal against the council at the Appeal Court in Lagos in 2015.

    “The Court of Appeal also dismissed the case brought against the Nigerian Shippers Council by the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria concerning shipping charges hence, the current out-of-court negotiation by the shipping companies with NSC.

    “They have over N600 billion to refund, but the amount they have to pay may not be more than N300 billon or more,” the NSC official said.

  • How NIMASA, MAN collaboration can change industry’s narrative

    I am highly impressed by what has happened between the last time I visited the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) informally and now. There have been tremendous improvements. Indeed, I am over-whelmed. I literally do not know where to begin my commendation of the man behind the success story, Commodore Duja Effedua. Besides, I have seen determination, pragmatism, and vision on the side of the leadership.The Rector has clearly shown where he wants to take the academy to and NIMASA will surely give him all the needed support going by the pace and determination he has already demonstrated.’’

    These inspiring words  showered on Commodore  Effedua by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, were like the appraisal of the Rector’s first anniversary.

    The NIMASA chief gave the commendation when he visited the Academy last Friday. He said he was on a fact-finding mission to confirm what he had read in the newspapers, adding that he was not disappointed.

    He expressed satisfaction with the transformation of the over 40-year-old Academy in the last one year.

    After  inspecting the campus, where many dilapidated or abandoned structures have been renovated, completed or undergoing construction by the Management, the NIMASA DG further appreciated the Rector for his vision and taste for quality.

    Peterside added that he was pleased that the Federal Government has found a round peg in a round hole in its quest to reposition the foremost maritime institution for the benefit of Nigerians and others in the sub-region.

    The DG stated the correlation between repositioning the Academy in terms of availability of facilities, quality of instructors and professional competency of cadets and the maritime narrative of the country.

    He argued that the status or functionality of the Academy has a direct bearing on the economy of the country; the reason government cannot treat the Maritime Academy with kid-gloves.

    “The importance of the maritime industry in Nigeria is directly related to the fortunes or performance of MAN. That is because the Academy grooms personnel for the industry. Therefore, if we expect the nation’s maritime industry to be top-range, the quality of personnel produced by the Academy also must be of top range. Again if we expect the quality of products from the Academy to be top range, then the quality of facility and instructors must also be at par with such expectations. It implies that if we want the industry to advance with the realities of the time, we must necessarily address issues pertaining to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria”, Peterside stated.

    Be that as it may, there is, therefore, much to glean from Commodore Effedua’s brief  highlight of policy and objectives of his administration, challenges and experiences in office. Commodore Effedua stated that his mission was on how to change wrong perceptions and the narratives of the Academy, to leave a legacy that stakeholders and posterity will be proud of.

    He said: “I must confess that I feel sad about where the Academy is today having been established about 40 years ago. It is far, far away from its contemporaries and even those that were founded long after it. Something must be done to redeem the grand objective of establishing the institution. And my goal is to achieve that to the best of my ability and this would be seen in the quality of products produced by this Academy under my watch. If the needed quality of staff, facilities and appropriate exposure are given, I can guarantee you that there is no how cadets from this academy cannot compete comfortably with their counterparts elsewhere in the world.”

    The Rector enumerated some of the challenges facing the academy to include unavailability of core maritime professionals, such as master mariners and navigators; obsolete teaching aids; lack of simulators and training ship for cadets’ sea-time; and bloated staff strength where over 70 per cent is non-teaching staff.

    Other challenges, according to the Rector, are incursion by host communities, who wrote volumes of frivolous petitions against the Management of the Academy; bloated cadets and lack of publications or books.

    Even in the face of these challenges, the Rector has devised a peculiar modus operandi to overhaul the structures and policies of the academy to achieve optimum results and strong diplomacy with host communities.

    Such include enforcement of discipline, training and restraining of workers at home and abroad through workshops, reduction of staff volume through redeployment, audit of certificates to ensure transparency. The Rector also involves in Corporate Social Responsibility for the communities.

    On the secret of his success, the Commodore stated that the magic lies in the belief that bad situations could be turned around for good with the right attitude, determination, competence and integrity. The second is creating  the right atmosphere for workers to key into your leadership pattern.

    Indeed, one major aspect of the Rector’s integrity in handling issues of the academy could have been dictated in his statements. Whereas others in the past ran down the government in the area of funding, the Rector gave what can be taken as a piece: “Let me say something no one may be bold enough and frank to say: funds from NIMASA to this Academy cannot strictly be said to be inadequate; but they are irregular. It takes so long to come. And that affects our operations so adversely. I wish they come when they should”.

    The Rector nonetheless expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and NIMASA for their commitments and interventions in critical areas of needs in the Academy. He, however, said much still had to be done to bring the Academy to international standard. The promises by the NIMASA DG were both encouraging and indicative of where the Academy should be.

    After suggesting measures to tackle the challenges,  Peterside said his agency would assist the Academy to realise its aims: “Let me make it very clear that NIMASA will offer help and support in all areas of need. This will include  bringing in core maritime professionals as external lecturers, initiating engagements and negotiations with affiliate organisations on exchange of programmes and facilities, acquiring simulators, ensuring timely release of funds due the institution, including donations of books.

    “I give my word that NIMASA will go all out to support the Management of the Academy because we are convinced beyond words of its capacity to deliver, so that together we can advance the vision of the maritime industry in this country. This is also in line with my strategic agenda for a complete turnaround of the sector for the envisaged benefits in all ramifications. In collaboration with sister organisations, we will train cadets and lecturers in highly professional aspects in places like Singapore, Egypt, etc.”

    Individuals and organisations that visited the Academy in recent times also praised the Rector for the changes at the Academy.

    The Naval chief attributed the problems in the institution to poor management and inability of those in charge to interpret the objectives of the foremost maritime training institution in Nigeria.

    Intersetingly, Commodore Effedua is changing things for the better.

    Other facilities that Peterside inspected include the remodelling of the library and resource centre, state-of-the-art survival pool,  and lecture theatres.

  • Buhari to open NPA conference

    President Muhammadu Buhari  is expected to declare open the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Africa Regional Conference slated for September 17 to 19 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

    Former Head of State General AbdulSalam Abubakar will chair the event.

    The event, according to Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, will be attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The theme of the conference, being hosted by the NPA, is “African ports and hinterland connectivity”.

    The event, according to Ms Usman, will draw key stakeholders in port and harbours across the continent  and other parts of the world.

    She said: “The IAPH Africa Conference will assemble key experts and stakeholders in the port logistics and transport industry to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of port hinterland connectivity. The conference will assess the present landscape of Africa’s port sector and the challenges faced in hinterland connectivity. It will discuss the experiences of port hinterland connectivity in other parts of the world compared to Africa, explore possible critical solutions, and recommend best home-grown models that would enable Africa to improve on its port hinterland connectivity and intra-regional trade.’’

  • Maritime academy for cadets, experts

    The Charkin Maritime Academy (CMA), Port Harcourt, Rivers State,  is shopping for professionals in the maritime industry.

    This was part of its bid to meet the standards set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and ensure it’s courses are line with the guidelines and conventions of the global maritime watchdog.

    Though many professionals are required, the academy, findings revealed, is presently shopping for marine engineers, lecturers, librarian, Cadets Regimental Unit (RUC) Commander, laboratory technologist and registrar.

    The  institution took the step to meet the requirements of local regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    Acting Provost of the academy, Dr. Egben Okore told  The Nation that the move  to recruit more professionals into the CMA was informed by the need to beef up the present workforce as well as prepare ahead of some of its courses and programmes.

    Okore said that interested applicants and students are free to take advantage of the openings in the school for a future career in maritime, oil and gas industries and beyond.

    It was part of the institution’s  expansion programmes that the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike had in February this year, unveiled Nigeria’s first ever land ship, MV Rivers Pride built by the CMA. The land ship houses some of the equipment and facilities required by the institution.

    These comprise full mission navigational bridge simulator; ECDIS Simulation Room; GMDSS (Navigation) Simulation Room which conforms to the 2010 Manila Amendments by the IMO; and the basic dynamic positioning class.

    Other components of the land ship are advance dynamic positioning and examination class; nautical institute examination room; and the drilling system crane simulator.

    Wike also used the occasion to announce an approval of a certificate of occupancy for the land in which the land ship is situated at Ozuoba, along the East-West Road, Port Harcourt.

    The governor praised the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Charkin Maritime and Offshore Safety Centre, Sir Charles K. Wami for the strides he has made since the establishment of the facility.

  • How rice worth N300m got into the country

    About 25,000 bags of rice worth over N300 million have been smuggled into the country, The Nation has learnt.

    They were smuggled through Ere River in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    Worried residents of the area have urged Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to stem the smugglers activities.

    Smugglers use Ere River to bring rice, vehicles, vegetable oil and poultry products. The river, which links Nigeria with Cotonou in Benin Republic through Owode-Apa and Ado-Odo-Ota, also links Gbaji and Badagry Lagoon with the Atlantic Ocean.

    According to sources, the smugglers started moving their  consignment into the country in the wee hours of Monday. The Nation saw locally-made boats loading rice into about 30 buses, each carrying more than 150 bags en-route Lagos from Itupa in Owode-Idiroko, to Alapoti, Apena and Ketu-Adie-Owe.

    They stopped at Atan and Lusada before entering Sango Ota and Alaba Rago Market in Lagos. The buses were trailed to Atan and Lusada for five hours.

    A source said the smugglers made more than eight trips to Lusada and Igbesa-Iteko.

    A commercial motorcyclist popularly known as Okada said some Customs officers, “powerful” people and the smugglers were working together. He blamed Customs and the high cost of rice for the illicit trade.

    The Okada  man said the number of youths involved in smuggling has grown because of unemployment.

    Goods smuggled through the area, he said, included tokunbo vehicles, textile materials, used clothes, bags, shoes, tyres, rice, frozen chicken, frozen turkey, vegetable oil, soap, furniture, sweets, cigarettes, apples, pineapple and palm oil.

    He said: “Unless the Comptroller-General of Customs visit the area, smuggling of all prohibited items through the river will continue. I hope you noticed that these buses are not registered anywhere in the country.

    “Look at their number plates and you will notice that some of them do not have number plates, while some are carrying foreign number plates.

    “If you count the number of people in front of each of the vehicles, they are no fewer than three and if you relate it to the number of buses, they used in transporting the rice, you will not count fewer than 80 people per trip.

    “Those people sitting with the drivers are carrying guns and other dangerous items and they are ready to engage anybody who challenges them on the road and that is why some Customs officers are compromising.

    “Majority of them are also ex-security officers and the few serving ones who have access to arms and ammunition and that was why I told you that it would be dangerous for you to take the picture of the vehicles because if they know that you are trying to take their pictures, they would be very brutal if they don’t kill us.

    “The people you saw there are very deadly and they have wasted so many people that have threatened their business,” the cyclist said.

    But a Customs officer denied the allegations.

    He said Customs mounted surveillance around a church in Ota because it believed smugglers have a hideout there. Several bags of rice, he said, had been intercepted by some teams in the area.

    “Although I don’t know where the river you mentioned is, we cannot deny that smuggling is going on around this place and that is why many of our officers have been posted to curtail the illicit trade.

    “Those of us posted to curb the nefarious activities of smugglers in the border areas are not finding it easy.

    “It is a difficult task because  majority of those involved are youths from the area and they know the area very well. Don’t forget that we, security officials, are strangers and we are not expected to detect all the routes that smugglers use in a few days. So, if you have detected a new route, it is your duty to inform us before telling the public,” the officer said.

  • ‘NIMASA needs helicopters, patrol boats’

    The Federal Government has been urged to provide new helicopters, modern patrol boats and operational vehicles for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to curb criminality on the waterways.

    Speaking with The Nation, immediate past president of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu said NIMASA needed the equipment for surveillance.

    He called for the enforcement of the laws against sea criminals, saying those arrested should be prosecuted.

    Shittu said lack of prosecution of suspects was a problem.

    He said: “To police the nation’s maritime boundaries requires a lot of platforms in the right places. NIMASA needs brand new helicopters, modern patrol boats, operational vehicles, human capacity and above all, technology that will provide the agency requisite surveillance.

    “With the availability of this equipment, we will begin to see a very high level of compliance by Nigerians, particularly, as it pertains to rules and regulations governing the maritime domain.‘’

    Shittu praised NIMASA Director-General Dakuku Peterside for how the agency has checked illegal activities on the waterways,

  • Customs rakes in N267b

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, made N267 billion between January and July, it was learnt at the weekend.

    About 343,471 metric tonnes of agricultural products, mineral resources and other exportable products with Free on Board (FoB) value of N57 billion were exported  through the Apapa Port during the period.

    Its outgoing Controller, Mr Jubrin Musa, made these known in Lagos, while handing over to his successor, Abubakar Bashir.

    Musa said the revenue represented 6.9 per cent increase over the N196.7 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2017.

    “The improved revenue profile of the command within the last three months attests to the fact that the NCS is at her best season as far as the statutory role of revenue collection is concerned. Through the NICIS 11, revenue leakages and human related errors and other clearing process abuses are reduced to the barest minimum.

    “We have put in place different strategies for more efficient and seamless cargo clearance. Such reinvigorated strategies include thorough documentary checks, continuous stakeholders engagement for willful compliance and 100 per cent physical examination of cargo.”

    The Customs chief appealed for increased compliance with extant laws guiding export business, assuring that the command would continue to facilitate export trade in line with the Federal Government’s effort at diversifying the economy through non-oil export.

    On anti-smuggling, the Comptroller said nine seizures comprising pharmaceuticals, vegetable oil and other controlled goods, such as 13 containers of tramadol, were made within the period.

     

  • Illegal fishing: Peterside vows to protect waterways

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has vowed to protect the nation’s territorial waters against pollution and illegal fishing.

    Findings revealed that the rate of polluting the territorial waters, illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous wastes has reduced drastically, based on the new measures put in place by the NIMASA helmsman.

    A member of the Fishery Society of Nigeria (FISON), Alfred Adegoroye, said NIMASA was  working with foreign partners to develop the capacity in tackling the crisis caused by pollution, hazardous waste dumping and illegal fishing

    Adegoroye said the dumping of toxic waste in the maritime domain and the increasing crimes on the coastline were attracting the required attention and commitment on the side of the Federal Government and NIMASA in providing capability and cooperation with foreign partners to build the nation’s maritime capability.

    Adegoroye pointed out that NIMASA and other security experts around the Horn of Africa have developed theories over the increasing hazardous wastes dumping and piracy

    He said Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand had set the stage for cooperation between states, both in information exchange and mobilisation of resources.

    Another member of the group, Mrs Lola Bilesanmi, observed that the insecurity in Africa’s waterways had forced insurers to hike rates for ships passing through the region.

    Specifically, coastal and inland states had seen their vital trade links threatened by pirates, a situation that led to rising costs that their populations must bear.

    “As at now, there are no clear answers as to the best ways to ensure maritime security, nor are there clear answers as to what percentage of resources nations should allocate to maritime security to best facilitate the goal of furthering development, but we need to give Kudos to NIMASA for its current initiatives,’’ she said.

    Since piracy is not the only threat to maritime security, another member, Mr Sesan Olanipekun, advised the government to adopt best practices that can be implemented to boost the current efforts of NIMASA.

  • Shippers Council to stop ‘arbitrary port charges’

    The Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) is determined to stop arbitrary charges to make the ports attractive for business, The Nation has learnt.

    The NSC, sources said, was determined to resolve the problem caused by the concessioning of the seaports to private investors about 13 years ago.

    The council was taken to court by terminal operators and shipping companies after the government named it as the port economic regulator. The case is yet to be determined by the Supreme Court.

    A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT) said the council and the ministry were resolute to achieve efficiency at the seaports.

    The source said the era of imposing arbitrary charges was over.

    The council, it was learnt, is worried that the operators are not increasing charges without following due process. Part of the agreement, the source said, was to call a stakeholders’meeting during which such charges would be discussed and approved before implementation.

    The operators and shipping firms, the official alleged, introduced new charges in the past without calling such a meeting.

    “These people went to court to challenge the appointment of the NSC as the port economic regulator. Despite the fact that the appointment of the NSC has been gazetted, they are still claiming that there is no law backing its appointment.

    “But they have forgotten that the agreement they signed with the ‘NPA was a mere agreement that has no single law of the federation backing it up and they have operated the port now for almost 13 years, without being gazetted not to talk of the law of the National Assembly.

    “It was this that prompted the agitation for the appointment of a commercial regulator to oversee the activities of stakeholders, including providers and receivers of shipping services. The freight forwarders had on many occasions gone on strike to protest the action of the service providers in increasing charges and for other deplorable conditions in the system. They had argued that this was so because there was no regulator to check the activities of the terminal operators and shipping companies, most of whom are sister companies of the terminal operators. It was based on this problem that stakeholders applauded the Federal Government when it approved the Shippers’ Council as the economic regulator,” the official said.

    Some stakeholders said it was time the government reformed the maritime sector, and reviewed it’s agreement with the operators.

    The  Chairman, Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin, said: “If the port industry truly deserves to be productive, competitive, and earn a hub status in the region, it must reform and stop deluding itself.

    ”The colossal growth in traffic, environment and empowerment, which we deserve,will forever elude the country unless the entire industry is reformed to meet the performance level of the ports in the sub-region now husbanding Nigeria destination cargo traffic.

    “There is much more to do to achieve the objectives of unbundling and creating efficient and competitive ports environment.

    “The reforms must start now in an all-inclusive way; it must be total. That is the only way, and that is the way forward,” he said.

    Folarin, who was not happy with the situation of the port, said a typical shipping company’s debit note in Nigeria contained at least nine different elements of charges.

    These include: shipping line charges, container cleaning, container deposit, Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) charge, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) sea protection levy, MOWCA fee, freight levy, document release, demurrage charges, NIPOST stamp tax, and Value Added Tax.

    Currently, eight of these charges have generated dispute between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the shipping companies, while four are a source of disaffection among importers, exporters and the terminal freight forwarders.

    Also, another four charges are being contested among shipping companies, importers, exporters and freight forwarders.

    Ports cost is a collective responsibility for both government and the private sector.

    Total port cost per a given cargo unit include Customs duty/taxes – 70 per cent, and Ports Terminal Operators – 13 per cent. The Nigerian Ports Authority’s share is negligible (+/-1%) excluding Customs duties, and comprises costs of handling, storage and delivery.

    To address the problem, Folarin said there was a need for deliberate government policy to reduce Customs duty and taxes; set up an effective and efficient single window platform; regulate infrastructure development especially in the port environment and common users’ areas.

    He emphasised the need for a stakeholders’dialogue, and encourage Public-Private Partnership in ports business, invest in modern facilities, and provide good quality human resources.

    The Executive Vice Chairman, Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, said: “We are convinced that these are matters of immediate and practical concerns to every Nigerian, and more so to the regulatory authorities that need to harmonise and balance the conflicting viewpoints to the satisfaction of the stakeholders.

    “I recall as an industry player that the exchange rate (Naira to dollar) in Year 2016, for instance, when we became ports concessionaires was between N125 and N131 to a dollar. How much is the exchange rate today?

    “In other words, since many of the operations are expected to be discharged to the lessee in dollars, how much naira will be enough today to purchase the required dollars.

    “Thirteen  whole years after the historic concession, how do you generate that amount of naira in today’s national economy?

    “By what percentage will the cost of service be adjusted upward to reflect the astronomical changes in the foreign exchange regime? So many questions seeking answers,” he said.

    Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Associations of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup said the operators were not to blame for the astronomical increase.

    “Some people are putting all the blames on terminal operators and I feel very disappointed.

    “The truth is that leadership is the problem. The government is the problem. I am not talking of this present leadership, the whole thing started from time immemorial. There was no sincerity on the part of government itself.

    “If you look at what is happening in Apapa today, there is no enabling environment.

    “The operators are losing money. We have invested heavily and what do we get back in return?

    “When we took over, dollar was N125, and today it is N362.

    ‘’NPA is there, Shippers’ Council is also there. What NIMASA charges is one of the highest in the world. Policy summersaults everywhere.

    ‘’Do we sit well and think deeply before changing policies?

    “There are whole lots of government agencies in the ports with a lot of charges, even stamps.

    ‘’You will see the government going around talking about Ease of Doing Business, are we supporting him? Is government supporting itself?

    ‘’Ports should be a one-stop shop, but I am sorry we are far from it because there is no sincerity on the part of anyone,” she said.

    Bello expressed optimism that the council would deliver on its mandate.

    The council, Bello said, was determined to meet the expectations of Nigerians in terms of port operation, efficiency and port charges.

    He assured genuine importers that irregularities and arbitrariness in the ports system would be addressed.

    The NSC, he assured, would look into the high cost of doing business at the ports, and what was responsible for the diversion of goods meant for ports to neighbouring ports of Cotonou.

    The immediate past President, Association of Nigerian Customs Licensed Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, urged the council to review charges imposed on importers.

    Shittu noted that numerous charges were being imposed arbitrarily without due consultations among stakeholders, while soliciting for appropriate consideration for the importers/exporters whom are the basis for shipping because they generate cargoes.

  • Illegal fishing: Peterside vows to protect waterways

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, has vowed to protect the nation’s territorial waters against pollution and illegal fishing.

    Findings revealed that the rate of polluting the territorial waters, illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous wastes has reduced drastically, based on the new measures put in place by the NIMASA helmsman.

    A member of the Fishery Society of Nigeria (FISON), Alfred Adegoroye, said NIMASA was  working with foreign partners to develop the capacity in tackling the crisis caused by pollution, hazardous waste dumping and illegal fishing

    Adegoroye said the dumping of toxic waste in the maritime domain and the increasing crimes on the coastline were attracting the required attention and commitment on the side of the Federal Government and NIMASA in providing capability and cooperation with foreign partners to build the nation’s maritime capability.

    Adegoroye pointed out that NIMASA and other security experts around the Horn of Africa have developed theories over the increasing hazardous wastes dumping and piracy

    He said Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand had set the stage for cooperation between states, both in information exchange and mobilisation of resources.

    Another member of the group, Mrs Lola Bilesanmi, observed that the insecurity in Africa’s waterways had forced insurers to hike rates for ships passing through the region.

    Specifically, coastal and inland states had seen their vital trade links threatened by pirates, a situation that led to rising costs that their populations must bear.

    “As at now, there are no clear answers as to the best ways to ensure maritime security, nor are there clear answers as to what percentage of resources nations should allocate to maritime security to best facilitate the goal of furthering development, but we need to give Kudos to NIMASA for its current initiatives,’’ she said.

    Since piracy is not the only threat to maritime security, another member, Mr Sesan Olanipekun, advised the government to adopt best practices that can be implemented to boost the current efforts of NIMASA.