The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • ‘NPA rakes in N3b from Calabar Port in three months’

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) raked in about N3 billion from Calabar Port in three months, it was learnt.

    The amount was realised between January and March this year.

    Speaking with The Nation at the weekend, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF), who craved anonymity, said the revenue excluded terminal operators’ huge debts to the NPA.

    According to the official, the NPA generated over $3.3 million and over N176 million from the Calabar Port within the period.

    The NPA, the official said, also collected over $3.3 million and over N77 million as revenue from the port during the same period.

    Investigation revealed that the NPA generated $697,001 and N63,604,478 in January this year, and collected $1,500,340 and N10,736,116 during the same period.

    In February, findings revealed that the agency generated $1,162,050 and N73,348,301. It also collected $834,593 and N30,332,126 during the same month.

    The NPA, it was gathered, generated $1,501,922 and N38,125,608 in  March, and collected $1,476,840 and 36,402,244 in the first quarter of the year.

    The agency, the FMoF official said, was able to generate the amount because of the policies adopted by its Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman.

    “When we looked at the dollar amount generated and collected at the Calabar port by the NPA, we discovered that it was over $6.6 million. NPA also raked in over N254 million during the first three months of this year.

    “We are happy that the management of NPA has put the Calabar Port to good use to boost the economy.

    “We, in the Ministry of Finance, sincerely appreciate the relentless efforts of Ms Hadiza Bala Usman and her management team in restructuring the organisation, which has assisted in achieving optimal operational efficiency in the ports and boosted government revenue,” the official said.

    The NPA, he said, generated about N3 billion from Calabar port during the same period.

    “We learnt that the serene environment created by Ms Usman and enjoyed by stakeholders attracted more importers and increased ship traffic to the Rivers port. This led NPA to more revenue generation for the Federal Government.

    “Her robust policy has also led to the move from the long-standing International Ship and Facility Security (ISPS) Code level 2, to the current level 1. We were told that she also instructed all her port managers to maintain a cordial relationship with stakeholders and the host communities.

    “Considering the directive by Ms Usman and her team on training and retraining of members of staff on the E-Service, such as E-SEN, Revenue Invoicing Management System ( RIMS), Customers Potal and E- Manifest, the NPA management has brought prospect to potential port users, stakeholders and operators,’’ the official said.

  • Peterside: How Nigeria can benefit from global seafarers’ shortage

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr. Dakuku Peterside told stakeholders in Warri, Delta State, that Nigerian seafarers ranked among the best in the world and could compete favourably with their foreign counterparts. He praised them for services to the international seaborne trade, the world market and the nation’s economy. He also assured them of the government’s support and decent wages. Maritime Correspondent OLUWAKEMI DAUDA was there.

    AS the country is in dire need of more professionals to grow its maritime sector, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General,  Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has promised that the government would provide the enabling environment  for seafarers to operate like their counterparts across the world.

    Addressing stakeholders at the annual Seafarers’ Day, an event organised by NIMASA in Warri, Delta State, Peterside said with the huge amount of money committed to training and re-training in the last few years by the agency, Nigerian seafarers are among the best and can favourably compete with their foreign counterparts.

    According to him, NIMASA, in the past few years, has trained and retrained seafarers and cadets in specialised courses, locally and internationally, with the aim at enhancing their competence and employability.  He emphasised seafarers’ importance to the economy and promised to address the challenges confronting them to attract young school leavers to embrace the career.

    Seafaring is the develop-
    ment of proficiency in vari-
    ous areas of shipboard operations, including watch-keeping, navigation, marine engineering, meteorology, maritime law, report writing, ship-handling, rope/cable handling, and cargo management, among others.

    Decent wage, improved working and living conditions

    Peterside said the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), which comprises tripartite stakeholders, has agreed to fashion out a decent wage regime and improved working and living condition for seafarers in line with what is obtainable internationally.

    “It is, therefore, expected that once the collective bargaining agreement is signed, ship-owners will commence its full implementation,” he said.

    He assured them that their welfare was critical to the growth of the sector, and that NIMASA would do all within its powers to implement International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation conventions on the welfare of seafarers.

    Peterside also urged shipowners to give preference to Nigerian seafarers, especially in the Cabotage trade as against the practice of engaging foreigners.

    “As Nigerians and maritime operators, we should be proud of our seafarers and encourage them to develop their careers/competences like their foreign counterparts,” he said.

    Human capacity development:

    Peterside, who has a governorship ambition under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State in the next general elections, noted that if the country is to benefit from opportunities presented by the worldwide shortage of seafarers, then the first thing is to develop and build capacities of its maritime training institutions in line with global standards.

    Academic activities, he said, have begun at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in Delta State.

    Training of Cadets:

    For Nigeria to bridge the gap occasioned by the dearth of manpower to handle Nigerian owned vessels, including foreign oceangoing vessels, shipping companies operating in the country need to invest in cadets’ training.

    NIAMASA, he said, has trained over 2000 cadets under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP). “This is in addition to those who have already undergone their mandatory sea time training. Five hundred have been earmarked for sea time training in 2018 fiscal year, while another 500 will undergo the training next year,”he said, adding that 150 fresh cadets will benefit from the programme under the NSDP, which will commence in the next academic session.

    “NIMASA, in May this year facilitated the training of 370 Nigerian seafarers in relevant courses leading to certifications on Standards of Training Certifications (STCW), Oil Tanker Familiarisation, Security Awareness (ISPS) Code, Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) and Dynamic Positioning.

    “Another 560 Dockworkers benefitted from the training in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), which was developed in line with the ILO’s code of practice OSH. All these are geared toward realising a robust maritime sector in line with international regulations,” he said.

    Delta State Government

    At the forum, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s economy depends largely on the maritime sector as over 90 per cent of the world trade is transported through the sea.

    Okowa, who was represented by his deputy Kingsley Otuaro commended NIMASA  for  its efforts and determination to ensure that Nigeria is reckoned with in the international maritime domain.

    He applauded the initiative behind the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), which is the first specialised in Africa and expressed the state’s readiness to partner NIMASA in actualising the institution’s vision.

    “As a state, we are prepared to support and partner NIMASA and the Federal Government to ensure that the underlying motive of establishing the Maritime University is achieved. We are also certain that the University undoubtedly will be a source of training for more seafarers and will add more commercial value to the Nigerian economy” the Governor said.

    Peterside highlighted the importance of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 which he said Nigerian ratified in 2013, stating that it made adequate provisions for seafarers’ welfare which if fully implemented will also guarantee their wellbeing. ”As the competent authority for the implementation of all IMO and ILO conventions, NIMASA has diligently commenced the implementation of the convention in Nigeria from the time it entered into force in 2014 till date, through the conduct of port and flag inspections on board vessels operating in our waters,” he said.

  • Customs seizes rice worth over N6m

    The Comptroller-General’s ‘Strike Force’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  has  intercepted 420 bags of smuggled rice worth over N6.4 million, it was learnt.

    The seizure is in addition to the 3,000 bags of rice intercepted last week by the group on Shagamu/Ijebu-Ode Expressway.

    Its National Coordinator, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa, said the bags of rice were concealed in trucks carrying gravel in Shaki, Oyo State.

    He said since the task force Zonal Commander Salisu Asaba Bullah made the Ogun axis unaccessible, smugglers were now moving towards the Oyo.

    He, however, promised that the task force would make all routes in the Southwest inaccessible for smugglers.

    “Less than a week after the zonal co-ordinator in Ogun Axis intercepted 3000 bags of rice, they were able to arrest another truck load of rice concealed inside gravel sand.

    “We know the smugglers are desperate and smart, but we are many steps ahead of them, the interception we made was based on intelligence because we can all see how desperate they are to smuggle these contraband into the country.

    “The seizure is attributed to intelligence provided by the Customs Intelligence Unit and my team and we have vowed to make the southwest zone a no go area for smugglers and make sure they count their loses no matter their antics,” he said.

  • Customs Strike Force goes tough

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has impounded about 3,000 bags of rice worth over N45 million. Two suspects, it was gathered, are been held in connection with the seizure.

    The 3,000 bags of rice were seized in Ogun State by Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali’s  Strike Force, which was set up to combat smuggling.

    The force is posted to the Customs four zonal offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Bauchi and Port Harcourt.

    Sources close to the Service told The Nation that the smuggled rice were concealed inside containers and trucks belonging to some registered companies.

    The smuggled rice numbering about 3,000 bags of 50kg has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N45 million.

    The interception is coming barely a week after the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said the Federal Government would close some of the land borders due to massive smuggling of rice.

    A source said: “Customs Zonal Commander of the Strike Force (Zone A),   AC Salisu Assababullah , led the team that made the seizure at Ijebu Ode,  Ogun State.

    “The  strike force was able to make the seizure through intelligence gathering and immediate response to the information gathered on the nefarious activities of the smugglers around the area.

    ”The CGC task force intercepted 3000 bags of 50kg rice smuggled into the country. They were intercepted along Ijebu Ode expressway with two suspects in custody.”

    ”We were able to get intelligence report that container laden trucks were taken to the border area, load it with smuggled rice and put seal as if it were a container released from seaports.”

    The source attributed the Strike Force’s success to other members of the team and acknowledged the Federal Government’s approval of brand new Pick-Ups for anti-smuggling which, he said, aided  the  interception .

    On June 7, 2016, the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari approved N1,5 billion for the procurement of 68 brand new Ford Pick-Ups for the Customs.

    The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who briefed State House Correspondents alongside the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning and the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the operational vehicles available for the service were grossly inadequate for effective anti-smuggling.

    She added that the need to effectively patrol the borders, enhance Customs’ bid to suppress smuggling and increase revenue collection gave rise to the request to purchase 68 operational vehicles.

    Adeosun explained that having identified the need, the Service made provision for the purchase of 68 operational vehicles, Hilux, in its 2017 capital appropriation.

    The strike force got nine vehicles from the 68 vehicles approved by FEC for anti-smuggling and in two weeks, the strike force was able to intercept 3,000 smuggled rice.

    A senior Customs officer advised smugglers to engage in legitimate business.  Part of the force’s mandate, according to Customs National Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, is to check officers’ activities.

    He said the force was set up to fight smuggling.

    “The team is empowered to enter any command system on suspicion of fraudulent activities taking place or about to take place with a view to blocking all revenue leakages from the system.

    “The team is allowed to partake in the examination of any suspected container generated by the ICT,” he explained.

  • Shippers’ Council boss seeks efficiency at ports

    The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is determined to make the ports more efficient to enable them compete with those of neighbouring countries, its Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, has said.

    He told The Nation that operators and other stakeholders should collaborate with the government to make the ports attractive, competitive and to be the sub-region’s preferred cargo destination.

    The collaboration, he said, is necessary to drive the reform in the sector to attract more cargoes. According to him, NSC is working with the government and private operators  to create a level-playing field for all.

    “The council is looking for an equilibrium that is needed in port operation, and that is why we interact with the operators regularly.

    “The port system is a representation of various interests and everybody has a target. That is why there is need for a neutral observer that will bring everybody together.

    “That is what the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is doing to cement the relationship so that synergy will be brought to bear on the positive contribution of shipping to the  economy.

    “The more cargo we have, the more it translates to economic growth; the more it translates to employment; building of new infrastructure and making transportation the driver of the nation’s economy,” he said.

    Bello said the complaints by port users, shippers and shipping companies vary, adding that  the complaints were to right certain wrongs. Some complaints, he said, are monetary, some on lack of equipment and short-landing of goods.

    The council, Bello said, has been persuasive with its regulatory power to eradicate the challenges hindering port operations and make the ports the preferred cargo destination. He said genuine automation of port operations would increase efficiency and decrease waste.

    The effect of these, according to him, would be making the ports attractive with increased cargoes, which in turn, would enhance government revenue.

    Bello said there would be more employment and the ports would then become the preferred destination for importers.

    “If it is five days in port A and it is one day in port B, I will rather go to port B because it is the economy of scale that determines which port is used. We have made it possible for us to make that comparison within the sub-consciousness of the national discourse on the economy.

    “It is important for our ports to be efficient and our ports are picking up now. Corruption is what we have been talking about and there are many ways to kill corruption and one of them is automation because the moment you have automation, corruption will just disappear. With the introduction of electronic payment platform, what took place in six days then, will now take place in six seconds.

    “Some of the delays have been eliminated by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the agency is also trying to introduce other electronic system of doing things, the same thing with Customs,” he said.

    The NSC boss urged the government to address the challenges confronting the port system with good policies.

    Investors, he said, needed  certainty and ease of doing business in Nigeria, which could be brought about by the government intervention, especially in the gridlock at Apapa.

    According to him, no matter how efficient a terminal is, if there is no road to evacuate cargoes, it will be difficult. So, there must be some level of intervention.

    “The ideas are to have an electronic passage to ensure that a truck is only in Apapa when it is needed to pick or drop cargo. Then, we don’t need trailers to go to tank farms because we have the pipeline, which is also a means of transportation.

    “The moment  we have these pipelines pumping to Mosimi and other flow stations, then we don’t need tankers in Apapa.

    “We cannot rely only on access road, ports should be accessible by road, rail, inland water ways and pipelines because the port is not a storage place for cargo at all,” he said.

    Bello also said the NSC is also establishing Truck Transit Parks along major highways in the country to help address the challenge of trucks parking along major roads in the country, adding that  the project is Public Private Partnership (PPP) aimed at reducing incidences of road congestion and loss of cargoes due to indiscriminate parking by truck drivers.

    The executive secretary explained that the council, in partnership with states, would build modern parks with hotels, restaurants, filling stations and garages for repair and maintenance of vehicles.

    According to him, the facility will also have weigh measures not only for trucks, but also small cars travelling at night can stop over there and stay because there will be security. This will provide revenue for the state government because there will be employment for people and other small businesses can spring up also.

    “We have secured a land from Kogi State Government along Abuja road; Enugu State Government has also given us land in Obolo Afor and other state governments have indicated interest in the project,” he said.

  • Stakeholders push for review of ‘faulty’ policy

    Unless the Federal Government supports the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to  review the nation’s shipping policy, foreign companies will continue to benefit from it at expense of indigenous firms, stakeholders have said.

    The policy, they  said, can hinder the Cabotage Law implementation. They urged Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi to champion the revew of the policy to boost revenue generation.

    Speaking at a forum organised by importers and clearing agents in Lagos, Sea Logistics Managing Director Mr. Rufus Olanipekun expressed concern that foreign shipping lines would continue to exploit the country because of what he called the selfish interest of a few and lack of a shipping policy that identifies the strategic challenges of the sector.

    Olanipekun said there had been lapses in enforcing the Cabotage Law and domesticating international treaties and conventions in the sector.

    He regretted that the Cabotage regime was yet to be implemented to meet stakeholders’expectations.

    Olanipekun also said there was a  gap between the Act and the system, which is yet to empower indigenous operators to take advantage of the law.

    The Federal Government’s performance on trade facilitation, high port charges, infrastructure, safety at sea, protection of the marine environment and enhancement of maritime law and security, Olanipekun said, is below expectation. He added that the ports were performing below expectation and that government agencies, such as NIMASA, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers Council, needed to be strengthened to carry out their core responsibilities.

    He said the Federal Government should do more to reduce piracy and armed robbery on the waterways.

    Another stakeholder and JM Investment Chairman, Mr James Joseph, said conspiracy was hindering the Cabotage Law implementation.

    Its implementation would have been easier, but for conspiracy between some officials of the Ministry of Transport and foreign ship owners, Joseph said.

    He said the law could be easily implemented, if the Minister of Transport mustered enough political will to do so.

    “The minister of Transport needs to see to the full implementation of the Cabotage law before he leaves office. We are aware that some individuals within and outside the government are trying to frustrate the implementation.

    “My suggestion to the minister is that he should make sure every ship that calls at the ports first declare arrival to the NPA, NIMASA and the Navy. By doing  so, it would become easier to implement the law,” he said, adding that poor policy implementation  is the bane of the sector.

    “No government agency needs to go to the jetty to arrest a ship. NIMASA, for instance, can ask any ship to tell her its point of loading. So, if it is offshore Lagos or offshore Cotonou, the agency can then verify if it is on the list of Cabotage registered vessels. Therefore, if the minister is determined, implementation should not be a problem,” he said.

    According to Joseph, ship owners must be supported with good policies by the government and banks to enable them buy vessels to carry out coastal trade.

    The Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003, he said, is a protectionist law enacted to create exclusive areas of operation in the coastal trade for indigenous operators.

  • Report, official give concession pass mark

    A lot has changed at the ports since the Federal Government concessioned the terminals in 2006, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF) has said.

    He said the report of an impact assessment conducted by Denmark-based consulting firm Quantifying Business Impacts on Society (QBIS) also attested to it.

    The study titled:  “Nigerian Trade Stimulator – How APM Terminals in Nigeria have impacted trade, creating jobs and ensuring a sustainable business environment, ‘’ he said,“was conducted by Mette Dalgliesh Olsen and Thomas Westergaard-Kabelmann.

    APM Terminals, Apapa, based on the report, the official said, has increased Nigeria’s manufactured export by 15 per cent, about N152.5 billion, between 2006 and 2009.

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), through the private terminal operators, the official said, has been running the ports effectively, saying NPA generated $140 million in 2005 before the concession and over $450 million from the Lagos Ports in 2014.

    Speaking with The Nation, the official said the government’s revenue has increased geometrically since the concession.

    The official, who asked not to be named, said the government con-cessioned the ports to generate more revenue and allow for greater flexibility, efficiency and better services to importers and other port users by resolving some of the major challenges confronting ports operations.

    “The  $5 billion increase in manufactured exports by the APMT has been associated with the creation of about 255,000 jobs and a contributiion of $1.6 billion to the nation’s GDP.

    “The report indicates increasing Foreign Direct Investment impact in the country and increased non-oil exports, in line with the agenda of the Federal Government.

    “This impact originates from a 50 per cent improvement in Nigeria’s liner shipping connectivity in the period from 2006 to 2009 that the study finds primarily is attributable to the Apapa terminal.

    “Thus, Apapa’s higher terminal capacity and efficiency made it more attractive for shipping lines to call Apapa and immediately increased the number of liner shipping services calling Apapa from eight to 22, while economies of scale, among others, were boosted by bigger container vessels.

    “In the years following APM Terminals’ takeover of Apapa, according to the report,  the number export countries rose from 82 to 144, while manufactured export value soared from $7 billion in 2006 to $47 billion in 2009.

    “The study also states that APM Terminals has made significant contributions to the development of local communities in Nigeria.

    “The health, prosperity and well-being of local communities is often considered of critical importance to terminal operators. Not only do terminal operators depend on local communities for access to resources (labour, land, infrastructure), local communities are often also key to terminal operators’ ‘license to operate’.

    “In that sense, terminal operators have a shared interest in supporting and developing local communities, and like many terminal operators around the world, APM Terminals in Nigeria engages in local community initiatives governed by a local policy on charitable activities, sponsorships and donations,” the report stated.

    “The study said with its capabilities in inland transportation, handling and storage of perishable goods, APM Terminals in Nigeria can play a potentially important role by enabling improved market access for rural farming communities in the Northern and rural parts of Nigeria while reducing food spoilage.

    “To this end, APM Terminals inland services initiated a new project in 2017 aimed at providing modern cold chain transportation alternatives for rural farmers in the agricultural centres of northern Nigeria to bring fresh produce, such as tomatoes, intact and unspoiled to market centres in the South,” the report said.

    “The study further stated that the modern cold chain transportation solution being provided by APM Terminals will create new long-term business opportunities for the country, while contributing to increased market access and improved income for rural farmers as well as create significant reductions in the post-harvest loss levels in the country.

    “The impact study further stated that despite its huge impact on the country’s economy, the full potential of APM Terminals’ investments in Nigeria is currently stifled indicating that additional improvements could be made to enhance the country’s competitiveness and international trade.

    “With Apapa running at 60 per cent of its capacity, APM Terminals can accommodate significantly more import and export if the demand emerges.”

    The turnaround time in 2005, at the Lagos Port complex and Tin-Can port, he said, was 10.0; vessel waiting time was 3.0, adding that between 2014 and 2016, the turnaround time and vessel waiting time have reduced to 4.0 and 1.3 and zero level in 2016.

    He said: “Concession is a process whereby the concession grantor gives the right to operate facility and/or deliver a service of public interest to a merchant concession-aire, against the commitment assumed by the concessionaire to build and manage the subject of the concession, or to manage the delivery of service at the concession-aire’s own risk.”

    Before the 2006 concession, the official said, the ports demonstrated very low levels of efficiency, which resulted in long turnaround times for ships and increased container dwell time.

    In global commerce, he said, seaports play an important role of being many nations’major gateway for international trade and are a good instrument for measuring the economic health of a nation.

    “The ports have considerable influence on the volume and conditions of trade as well as the capacity for economic development of nations still developing.

  • Customs seizes over N1.3b contraband 

    Contraband worth over N1.3 billion were impounded between the middle of last month and early this month by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), its Area Controller, Mohammed Uba has told The Nation.

    Addressing reporters at the unit’s Ikeja, Lagos command, he said the seized items included 15 assorted vehicles worth over N383 million.

    Twelve suspects, he said, were arrested in connection to the 112 seizures made by his officers in less than one month.

    The exotic vehicles, according to the controller, include three Toyota C-HR (2018 model), one Toyota Camry LE (2018 model), one Toyota Prado (2018 model), one Toyota Hilux (2017 model), one Ford FI50 (2017 model), one Pajero Jeep (2017 model), and one Mercedes Benz (2017 model), among others.

    Uba  said his men seized over 9000 bags of smuggled parboiled rice, with a duty paid value (DPV) of over N129 million.

    Other seized items include 1,464 cartons of frozen poultry products, 870 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 273 bales of used clothing and 592 pieces of used tyres.

    The command also seized four containers with Reg. No: PCIU850134/9, PCIU8278544, FCIU983753 and TGHU6924330 for false declaration.

    Two of the containers, finding revealed, were laden with 8,633 pieces of empty gas cylinders as against plumbing materials declared in their SGD form. The other two containers also carried 120 bales of new jeans as against punching machine declared in the SGD form.

    A total of 12 suspects, it was learnt, were arrested in connection to the 112 seizures worth N1,345,572,313.

    “Similarly, the unit through its interventions recovered N59,506,773.25 from underpayments, making a cumulative of over N1,405 billion.

    “To ensure full implementation of the government policy banning the importation of rice through land borders and following headquarters directive on same, we re-strategised our operational modali-ties and beam our searchlight at the Creek, Water side, and at various locations in south west zone and hence the reason for the massive rice seizure within the period under review.

    “We will continue to make sure smugglers within our areas of jurisdiction count their losses until they repent from sabotaging our economy.

    “As you already know, smuggling is a global phenomenon that cannot be eradicated entirely, but if all hands are on deck it will be reduced to its barest minimum,” he said.

    Findings revealed that some senior officers of the command had to put their lives on the line to seize the items, most especially the 15 trailers.

    A senior official of the unit, who craved anonymity, said: “It was a big battle at the creek and bush parts to seize the rice from smugglers. The resilience and doggedness of the officers are highly commendable.”

  • SIFAX acquires N1.5b trucks

    SIFAX Haulage and Logistics Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group, has acquired 20 trucks worth about N1.5 billion to boost its operations.

    Speaking at the trucks inauguration, SIFAX Haulage & Logistics Limited General Manager Mr Adewale Adetayo said the company’s decision to expand was designed to deliver better service to its clients and position her for the bigger task ahead in the industry.

    He said: “The acquisition of these new trucks is a clear demonstration of the unfettered commitment of the management of SIFAX GROUP to the strategic goal of repositioning SIFAX Haulage & Logistics Limited for greater productivity. With this acquisition, our transfer and delivery processes will be sharpened. We can now also favourably compete in the movement of deadweights. We are poised to change the haulage and logistics landscape in Nigeria with the expansion of our fleet. Our haulage team has been well prepared and equipped with various technical trainings to usher in the operations of these new trucks in addition to ones we have at hand.’’

    Earlier, Group Managing Director, SIFAX Group Mr. John Jenkins explained that with the inasuguration of the new trucks, the company now lives up to the standard it is known for worldwide. He noted that the company’s business acumen is geared towards constantly meeting customer needs and adding value to all its businesses.

    “Today’s inauguration is in line with the company’s vision of making all its brands and businesses the front liners in their respective sectors. We are committed to constantly strengthening the logistics value chain of the maritime sector of which haulage is an important value,” he said.

    Jenkins assured clients that with the acquisition and relevant capacity development programmes that the staff have undergone, the quality of service they would enjoy would be a lot better.

  • Feud over Global West Vessel ownership

    The family of the founder and pioneer Managing Director of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited (GWVSL), a maritime security company, has dragged the Managing Director of the company, Captain Winfred Itima, to court for allegedly neglecting the family of the late Captain Romeo Itima.

    GWVSL was used by the former Niger Delta militant, Government Tompolo, to secure multi-billion naira contracts from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    Winfred, who was considered the closest family member to the late Captain Itima, allegedly took control of his companies shortly after his death.

    Joined as co-defendants are other directors of the firm, Mr. Oluwagbenga Leke Oyewole and Mr. Olabisi Idowu Afolabi. The plantiffs are the wife of Captain Romeo Itima, Helen and two of her children, Zion Itima and Kevin A. Itima.

    The suit designated: FHC/CS/1123/2017 was filed before Justice Babs Kuemi of the Federal High Court, Lagos. The preliminary hearing held on May 16.

    In the suit, the plaintiffs averred that late Itima established the company in Nigeria in 2009 to combat piracy and associated crimes plaguing Nigeria’s territorial waters, adding that it was a way he intended to contribute his quota in salvaging Nigeria’s maritime security domain, sloughing his wealth of experience as a master mariner with a rich shipping experience from the United States.

    The late Captain  was said to have died  on August 7, 2012, in Escravos, Delta State, where he reportedly fell off a boat and drowned.