The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • NIMASA to end foreign control of crude lifting

    NIMASA to end foreign control of crude lifting

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is set to end foreign domination of crude oil lifting. The agency plans to introduce new measures that will pomote indigenous participation in the highly lucrative business.

    Its Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, it was gathered, has concluded arrangement to introduce new policies that will enthrone the participation of many Nigerians.

    Speaking with The Nation  on  the side line of the World Maritime Day, organised by the Ministry of Transportation last week in Lagos, Peterside decried the monopoly, which precludes indigenous shipowners from participating  in the highly-lucrative enterprise.

    He promised to assist in building indigenous operators’ capacity to participate actively in the business.

    The NIMASA helmsman  said the involvement of indigenous shipowners in the trade would be in the national interest.

    Their participation, he  noted, would provide gainful employment for many Nigerians, reduce crime, generate more revenue and ensure security at sea and around the ports.

    The DG called on International Oil Companies (IOCs) to engage eligible Nigerians in the lifting of the country’s hydrocarbons and promised to assist in building indigenous operators’ capacity to participate more actively in ferrying Nigeria’s oil and gas resources.

    He assured operators that the apex regulatory agency is ready to enforce its statutory responsibilities, especially in the area of preserving and protecting the marine environment from the adverse impact of oil exploration and other commercial activities. He warned that NIMASA will no longer tolerate a situation where IOCs renege on the payment of levies due to it as enshrined in its enabling instruments.

    Peterside added that the maritime sector in Nigeria is the soul of the country’s economy. “Apart from the fact that most of the oil and gas exploration, which is the major revenue earner of the country, is done in the maritime environment, vessels are needed to transport these products from one point to the other, making the maritime sector integral to the whole economic process,” he said.

    Peterside also expressed concern that NIMASA, as a regulatory agency of government, has been grossly misunderstood and assured stakeholders of Buhari Administration’s commitment  to not only engender the development of local content in the maritime industry, but push for the review of the Cabotage Act to make it more beneficial to Nigerians.

  • ‘Importers, agencies should collaborate on ADR’

    Chairman, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), Nigerian branch, Mrs Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, has urged importers, terminal operators and government agencies at the ports to collaborate and embrace the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) option in resolving maritime cases, and move the sector forward.

    She urged stakeholders and operators in the maritime sector and the youth in  other  fields, to seek and explore opportunities that abound in arbitration.

    Speaking at this year’s CIArb, Nigerian Branch Annual Conference in Lagos, themed: “Strengthening the Building Blocks of Arbitration in Africa”, Rhodes-Vivour said there was need for private and public institutions to collaborate in the interest of furthering arbitration and the ADR as the preferred means of dispute resolution.

    “We are committed to advocating a conducive environment in our jurisdiction for the practice of ADR. The institution provides education and training for arbitrators, mediators, and adjudicators. It also acts as a global hub for practioners, policy makers, academics and those in business supporting the global promotion, facilitation and development of all ADR methods,” she said.

    Rhodes-Vivour, who noted that there was a growing number of African  arbitration centres across the region, said visionary governments were developing their counties into arbitration hubs. This is because the realisation of an internationally-recognised arbitration hub sends the right message to investors.

    “A perception of political and legal stability, a stable and transparent judiciary, a secure and safe environment give investors the confidence to invest. We are committed to advocating a conducive environment in our jurisdiction for the practice of ADR,”she said.

    Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, said the state had embraced ADR by establishment of Citizens Mediation Centres (CMCs), Multi-Door Court House and Arbitration Court.

    He said Lagos was being made a Centre of Arbitration, as courts are not sufficient to  resolve all disputes.

    “We must look for other methods of resolving disputes; the platform, Lagos government has provided. Lagosians should use them – ADR. Lagos has been commended for ease of doing business; ease of doing business also means ease of resolving disputes,” Kazeem said.

    The Attorney-General, who noted that over 40,000 cases had been handled by the CMCs, said arbitration made dispute resolution faster.

    In her opening remarks, Chairperson of the Conference Planning Committee, Mrs Folashade Alli, said all factors militating against ADR must be removed.

    Alli, a Chartered Administrator, called for harmonisation for Arbitration bodies to make the country a hub, adding that issues of security and other logistics had to be taken care of. She said anybody, not just lawyers, can take on the role of an arbitrator.

  • History as large vessel berths in Calabar Port

    History as large vessel berths in Calabar Port

    Many decades after the Eastern  Ports came into being, a flat bottom ship, has berthed at the Calabar Port.

    The  vessel, MV’ Desert Ranger, weighing about  62,000 metric tonnes, made history as the largest ship to call at the port despite its draft limitations.

    The heavy vessel, which sailed from Greece, was laden with 60,000 tonnes of wheat. The vessel is 200 metres long.

    The vessel called at the port after the arrival of equally large MV ‘ Desert Rhapsody.’ The two ships are owned and operated by Greece-based Atlantic Bulk Carriers Managers ( ABCM) Ltd.

    On the significance of the vessel, the Port Manager, Mrs. Olufumilayo Olotu, said it was historic that the vessel  berthed at the port.

    “We are delighted that history was made with the arrival of MV Desert Ranger in Nigerian waters. Its berthing at the Calabar Port has demonstrated the determination of the current management of the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA), under the able leadership of our Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, to make the Eastern ports attractive for business. “

     Mrs.  Olotu, who received the vessel on behalf of the management, expressed appreciation to its partners, Atlantic Bulk Carriers  for taking the initiative.

    Mrs. Olotu described the berthing of the vessel as a “dream come true,” adding that it was a sign of good things to come and a relief for the NPA.

    “Very soon, another carrier vessel will be coming in and we are expecting that Calabar Port will become very active again,’’ she said.

    While soliciting the support of stakeholders to ensure the business climate at the port is conducive for investors, she assured them of the provision of more tug boats to complement the existing one.

    She also restated the NPA’s resolve to dredge the Calabar channel. Advertisement for bidding for the dredging, Mrs. Olotu said, has been placed by the authority.

    “In the light of this new development, the slogan for Calabar port is: “Whatever you need, just desire it, we will deliver it.” Mega ships with flat bottom, which do not require deeper draft, she added, can safely call at the port in its current state.

    Investigations, however, revealed that the vessel was able to call at the port because of the approval given by Ms. Usman, and the training of ship captains from Calabar in Greece, to acquaint them with the maneuvring of the large vessel across the port’s channel.

    Mrs. Olotu also visited the shipping company in Greece to allay their fears over security threat along the channel.

    The Director-General, Cross River Waterways Authority, Mr. Asi Esi, expressed delight with the development, adding that the state government would work with the NPA for maximum benefit of the people.

    Esin said tax rebate for willing investors in the port would be looked into by the state government to encourage more investors in the state.

    “Governor Ben Ayade is desirous of having investors in our state, so I can assure you that the governor will do everything possible to ensure that investors will not run away due to multiple taxation,’’ he said.

    He said for a long time, the state had been hoping and waiting for this kind of opportunity, assuring that the state would give the NPA the desired support to succeed where others had failed.

    Many importers, clearing agents and other stakeholders celebrated the arrival of MV Desert Ranger and praised the NPA for “its efforts before the vessel arrived the port.”

    One of the importers, Mr. Andrew Emmanuel, gave kudos to the port manager and the NPA for achieving the landmark.

    He said:“ Before the arrival of this ship, shipping companies have raised a lot of concern about the topography and draft limitations of Calabar port channel and that was why they were shipping their Calabar-bound cargo to Lagos and trucking same to the end-users in Calabar.

    “In a bid to recover this traffic, Calabar port management held meetings with importers and ABCM Limited, their agents, Maylon Ports Limited and the terminal operator. It was during these talks that an ingenious plan was discovered and the decision to use flat-bottom Bulk Carriers, with lower draft requirement to bring the cargo to Calabar port.”

    Emmanuel expressed the hope that other government agencies at the port would emulate the NPA by imbibing international best practices and enthroning customer- friendly policies in carrying out their responsibilities, to encourage more big vessels to call at the port.

    Findings revealed that another vessel, MV Arriet has been dispatched with cargo to Calabar.

    On his experience, the captain of the ship, Captain Dinkar, noted that he received a warm welcome from the Port Manager, as well as other government regulatory agencies like NPA , among others. He expressed delight at the impressive equipment at the terminal.

  • ANLCA urges members on trade facilitation

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has urged its members to keep supporting the Federal Government’s trade facilitation programme.

    Investigations have revealed that the association mandated its members to follow all Customs’ rules and regulations associated with quick cargo clearance as the “Ember” months and the Yuletide season approach.

    The association’s Public Relation Officer, Dr Kayode Farinto, said the group has undergone various structural and operational changes in line with the freight forwarding profession with a view to attaining global standards and best practices.

    “ANLCA at national and  state levels has enforced compliance on members with the ethics and rules governing the profession aimed at creating a robust working relationship with all stakeholders, with emphasis on the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

    “ANLCA as a major stakeholder in the clearing and freight forwarding profession, has played tremendous role and impact in trade facilitation and revenue generation into the federal coffers.

    “These are reflected in most Customs area commands as clearing agents have created adequate partnership with officers and men of the service with a view to enhancing revenue generation and facilitate trade,” the image maker said.

    The new vigour injected by the current administration of Prince Olayiwola Shittu,  Farinto said, has created a multiplier effect at most ANLCA chapters anchored on handwork, discipline, transparency and result-oriented programmes.

     

  • ‘High interest rate killing shipping’

    The Federal Government has been urged to reduce interest rates to enable ship owners upgrade their facilities and compete with foreigners.

    In an interview with The Nation in Lagos, some stakeholders urged the government to build a vibrant investment climate for the sector.

    The former Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Compliance, Mr. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said there should be policies to create linkages between the industry and other sectors such as banking and manufacturing.

    He suggested measures like a dedicated institutional financing mechanism for the shipping and maritime sector, a comprehensive maritime regulatory policy, to clearly delineate the role and responsibilities of the government and private sector in the development of the sector.

    The purchase of modern vessels, Akinderu-Fatai, a shipper, said, would provide jobs for millions of Nigerians and restive youths across the country.

    He said there was a need for sustained partnerships between the private and public sectors for effective funding.

    The country, he said, has not enjoyed the commercial benefits of transporting large quantities of cargoes because the local ship owners lacked the capital.

    Akinderu-Fatai suggested that the Federal Government should integrate maritime education and training into the national university system so that Nigerians who interested in seafarers’training could get the necessary education to promote the sector.

    Lamenting the lack of foreign exposure for better performance, he said many operators were bogged down with practical experience, with little or no formal education.

    “There is a need for more government interventions aside the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), to actively encourage the banking sector to support local ship owners to acquire modern fleet, which can sail anywhere in the world,” he said.

    The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Adetoye, said 60 per cent of the inward and outward-bound sea trade in the West and Central Africa sub-regions passed through the nation’s waterways, calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to assist in developing the industry.

    He said the country needed to expand its merchant fleet because of  the high volume of bulk liquid, gas and dry cargoes that pass through its waterways.

    “The fleet to carry the enormous quantity of cargo is estimated at 200 tankers including combo general cargo vessels and liquefied natural gas vessels, Adetoye said

     

  • Lawyer seeks seafaring training for Lagos youths

    The Director-General,  Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has been urged to involve more youths from Lagos State in the agency’s seafarers’ training to prepare them for the future.

    A maritime lawyer and university don, Mr. Sunday Adetoye, said there were many job opportunities in the maritime sector, lamenting that they are not open to some youths in the state because they lacked requisite training.

    He spoke at an empowerment programme organised  for more than 2,000 youths in Badagry.

    The call, Adetoye said, was necessary considering the “army of jobless youths roaming the streets of Lagos.” He urged the Federal Government and NIMASA to reverse the trend.

    The lawyer said Lagos had the highest number of jobless youths in the country and urged NIMASA to help solve the problem by involving the youth in its seafarers’ training.

    NIMASA, Adetoye said,  has the approval of the National Assembly to train youths to become qualified seafarers in various universities across the world, to fill the knowledge gap in the sector.

    He decried the neglect of youths from the state in the overseas raining programmes of NIMASA unlike their colleagues from the Niger Delta, under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).

    He said one way Nigeria could bridge the gap in indigenous professionals in the sector was for the government to develop capacity in the field by sending youts across the 36 states abroad for training.

  • Stakeholders flay BPE, others over INTELS’ crisis

    Stakeholders in the maritime industry have, at a forum in Lagos, urged the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to reconsider its position over the termination of its the pilotage services contract with the nation’s oil and gas logistics giant, Intels Nigeria Limited (INTELS). This, they said, will restore investors’ confidence in the interest of the economy and thousand of Nigerians working with the firm.

    They also berated the previous NPA management and officers of the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) that signed the agreement with INTELS without paying the necessary attention to the constitution.

    With the advertisement placed by the NPA, INTELS, they said, must be given the first offer of refusal if the company applies.

    At the forum organised by importers in Lagos over the ‘INTELS and NPA imbroglio’,  a speaker, Mr Felix Jacob said INTELS must not be punished for BPE officials’ negligence, whose assignment was to consider every aspect of the constitution before any government agency enters into any agreement with private firm.

    INTELS, Jacob said, must also not feel too big to apply for the contract since the company already has its equipment and personnel on ground carrying out the pilotage services.

    He blamed the BPE and the NPA officials  involved in the enactment of the disputed agreement and urged the NPA management ‘to show the world that “its slender harm is full  of  kindness by allowing INTELS to continue with the job if it agrees to the new terms and conditions since the  firm has demonstrated world-class expertise in the business”.

    “The allegation that the agreement signed by the NPA in 2007 with INTELS violateed Sections 80 (1)  of the Constitution shows that the officials of the BPE and the legal entity of the previous administrations failed to pay adequate attention to the Constitution and that the fault is not with INTELS.

    “INTELS  did not prepare the agreement. It was done by the previous management of the NPA in collaboration with the BPE before the current Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman was appointed. All the former Managing Directors failed to see or pretended not to have seen  the anormally before Ms Usman came on board. They did nothing to correct the error before they were sacked or removed from office.

    “Those castigating INTELS are only trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. If not, now is the time to invite the officials, who prepared and signed the previous agreement on behalf of the Federal Govenment, and ask them questions on why they threw constitutionalism to the dogs. If senior officials of the BPE cannot represent the government well, who will?” Jacko asked.

    He urged the NPA to open its door for negotiation with INTELS so that local and foreign investors would not be wary of contractual agreement they are going to sign with the Federal Government now and in the future.

    Another speaker and  maritime lawyer,  Mr Dipo Alaka, called for the prosecution of those who prepared the previous agreement on behalf of the Federal Government and asked INTELS to be remorseful.

    “If you are doing business with the government and making enough profit, you must be ready to listen to the same government that is feeding you. This is not the time for INTELS and its officials to war- war, but jaw-jaw. They have have laboured to bring the huge facility at their terminal  to life and that is why we are appealing to the company to eschew ego and find ways to resolve the crisis in the interest of their huge investment and the mation at large,” Alaka said.

  • Customs deploys over 800 officers to combat smuggling

    Customs deploys over 800 officers to combat smuggling

    ABOUT 800 senior officers  of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit ( FOU) Zone ‘A’ , Ikeja, have been deployed to the remote areas of major towns and villages around the border areas to increase the anti-smuggling war’s tempo.  This is to curb smuggling as we approach the Yuletide, it was learnt.

    The Unit, findings revealed, covers Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states.

    FOU anti-smuggling strike team include the Lagos Roving, the CG Compliance and Patrol; all combing the nooks and crannies of the six states for smugglers.

    The deployment by the Unit Controller, Mohammed Uba Garba, it was gathered, emanated from the report that smugglers would be on rampage from the end of this month  till the end of December.

    Mohammed,  according to stakeholders, has mandated his officers to wage a relentless war against economic saboteurs in his area of jurisdiction.

    It was also gathered that the unit  has increased the  patrols on land and villages very close to the rivers and the sea, fortified the approved check points and other swampy areas around Ere, Ado, Alapoti, Seme, Ojo, Sibiri, Igbesa, Agbara, Badagry, Owode-Apa and other areas where operational boats and vehicles could not access with highly committed young senior officers.

    When The Nation visited the  Unit last Friday, Mohammed was seen directing some of his senior officers, who were on top of their operational vehicles and armed to teeth. They are to comb all the river banks linking the Atlantic Ocean from Lagos to Ogun, Oyo and Ondo states so that no smuggler will be able to use barges to smuggle rice and other prohibited items into the country.

    While some of the officers were sent to combat smugglers, who may want to use the rivers and the sea for their illicit business,  another set, it was learnt, has been mandated by Mohammed to comb the bush paths in their area of jurisdiction to find the new hide-out of smugglers, who specialised in bringing all prohibited items like second hand clothing, bags, shoes, frozen chicken, bags of rice, used tyres and other items through the land and the swampy area into the country.

    The over 800 dedicated officers, it was gathered, were instructed to also beam their searchlight on the villages around the border areas where the smugglers may want to use to bring in bags of rice and other prohibited items into the country.

    When The Nation visited Owode-Apa, Ado and Igbesa areas of Ogun State on Saturday, most of the residents of the area were seen complaining about the Customs officers  activities as most of their vehicles  were stopped on the road and searched.

    Some traders at Lusada, a town in the area, said gone were the days when small quantities of rice such as 10kg and 25kg per trip are stored in commercial quantity by the so-called travelers for onward shipment into markets.

    One of the traders, Mrs Badejo Adegoroye, said: “This is not a good time for scrupulous importers operating on Lagos-Ogun border stations  and its environs.”

    She confirmed that things have turned bad for importers, who engage in illicit trade with the new sophisticated methods introduced by the FOU officers.

    Other traders said it was difficult to deny the government the needed revenue or flood the country with  smuggled rice and other illicit  products.

    Findings revealed that officers of the Unit have put a check on the quantity of rice any traveler can bring into the country no matter how small it is.

    The move, investigation revealed, has made  Mohammed and his officers unpopular among many trans-border traders and villagers around the area.

    The anti-smuggling drive of the Unit  now stretchs to various swampy areas where vehicles could not access in addition to the visible patrols of the villages and proper manning of all approved checkpoints.

    The command has also increased foot patrol along the bush paths and raised its level of intelligence gathering for preventing, interdicting and uncompromising arrests of smugglers.

    Contacted, FOU’s Public Relations Officer, Jerry Attah, said the controller has set in motion a system that makes the fight against smuggling more serious.

    Although the image maker was not specific on the number of officers deployed, he was emphatic that all the officers in the Unit  are working together and operating as one.

    “You know we are almost at the end of October, this is the time most of the people, who engage in nefarious activities use to smuggle approved and un-approved imported items into the country through the land and sea. They do this to deny the Federal Government the needed revenue to boost the economy.

    “Our Controller is a career officer and once  the O/C Export at Zone A in TCIP, O/C Gate at Onne Area II, Port Harcourt, DC Valuation at Lilypond, DC Import KLT, TCIP and Ogun Area Command.

    “Under his watch, the anti-smuggling crusade has changed positively. He has provided inspirational leadership by living among his rank and file in the barracks unlike the previous Comptrollers, who preferred the comfort of their rented five-star apartments in the cities. This has endered him to his subordinates, who see him as one of them and trusted to lead most of the operations they have carried out.

    Officers of the command said no file stays on his table till the following day and responds promptly to every issue that comes up at the command.

    the area to desist as he said the Area Controller has directed that there must not be any hidden place for them to operate.

     

  • Usman pledges effective service delivery

    The Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman  has assured stakeholders of effective service delivery. She made the  pledge during a stakeholders meeting in Warri, Delta State

    Addressing over 300 stakeholders at the meeting, she promised to make the seaports world standard.

    Usman said the current management would do all within its powers to ensure that the Warri Port and all other seaports across the country lived up to expectations of the government, the stakeholders and the public in terms of service delivery and contributions to the growth of the economy.

    She praised the NPA staff in Delta Ports for sustaining the ports and solicited their support, urging them  to devise strategies for increasing the tempo of activities in the ports and raise revenue generation.

    Stakeholders expressed concern that the Delta Ports and other ports in the Eastern region, do not enjoy the patronage they deserve, even though majority of the importers are from the region. Usman, however, said her team was determined to reverse the trend with a view to making the port attractive for business.

    According to her, the meeting with the Executive Directors of the NPA was to enable them listen to their complains, and interact with the stakeholders and workers to address the challenges facing the ports.

     

  • Operator to govt: prioritise scanners

    The Group Executive Vice Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise the provision of scanners at seaports.

    He said this became imperative  because of the rise in illegal arms import through the seaports.

    Afolabi said the Federal Government was slow in addressing faulty scanners, adding that their non-availability resulted in the 100 per cent physical examination of cargoes by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    Subjecting containers to 100 per cent examination, he said, might compromise national security.

    Besides, he said the non-provision of scanners would affect the government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.

    “Within eight months, the number of illegal arms that have been imported through the port is staggering and distressing. I am convinced that the absence of needed facilities like the scanners at the ports is what has emboldened these unpatriotic criminals to keep importing these arms. There is little that the Customs can do to prevent this when they are not well equipped.

    “I am worried that the Federal Government has not shown the kind of swift response and decisiveness that this illegal import demands. The way to go is to urgently provide scanners at the ports.

    “I have been an advocate of concessioning the port scanning services in the country. The country is just exiting recession and the government does not have the financial muscle to undertake this kind of huge capital investment. Just like the government concessioned the seaports in 2006, which has yielded great results and turned the maritime sector around, the concessioning of the port scanning will also help in improving efficiency at the port and curb the dangers associated with 100 per cent physical examination currently being embarked upon by men of the Nigeria Customs Service.

    “I want to urge the government to expedite action in the concessioning of scanning services at the ports. The terminal operators are capable of investing in the scanning services to create more revenue for the country, curb the importation of arms and other dangerous cargoes into the country and also make the Ease of Doing Business Executive Order successful,” he said.

    Afolabi said cargo clearing would remain cumbersome and make ports uncompetitive and unattractive,  urging the government to support the seaports to give them an edge over others in the sub-region.

    Afolabi said in the face of dwindling revenue to the government, private sector financing was an option for the provision of scanners.