The Nation Newspaper

Category: Maritime

  • Hard times await smugglers at Seme, says Controller

    Hard times await smugglers at Seme, says Controller

    Seme Border Customs Area Controller (CAC) Comptroller Mohammed Ndalati has swung into action, promising smugglers a hard time.

    Speaking when he took over from his predecessor, Comptroller Willy Egbudin, Ndalati said he would collaborate with his officers to flush out smugglers.

    With the support of his men, he said, he would harness all human and material resources to achieve the zero tolerance policy for smuggling.

    Ndalati said: ”We must imbibe change; we must exhibit it and show that we are change agents. Manning the border must include behavioural management of persons. The bottom line is that you have conquered the environment.’’

    According to him, challenges will not deter him and his officers from delivering on the Customs core responsibilities of trade facilitation and revenue collection.

    He praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, for his human capacity building initiatives and the modernised and improved status of Customs.

    “Customs have come of age and we are in the modern day customs. It is no longer the branded, outdated and antiquated Customs and Excise Department we used to know. In other words, professionalism is enhanced and encouraged under the present regime,” he said.

    Seeking the cooperation of stakeholders, he advised importers and customs agents to keep abreast of import guidelines.

    Businessmen and companies that comply with the extant order have nothing to fear, he said.

    Ndalati praised Egbudin, describing him as a hardworking and dedicated officer. He assured that he would build on his good works.s said that the officers and men on the ground are very resourceful persons and I want to count on that. I solicit their maximum cooperation and optimal input in every endeavour,” he added.

    Ndalati urged his men not just to be concerned about goods passing the border, but also about the people.

    Born on March 15, 1959 in Zaria, Kaduna  State, Ndalati had his early education in Zaria and Bida, Niger State.

    As a pioneer student of the Bayero University Kano (BUK), he participated in the Students Union Government. He graduated in 1980 with Bachelor of Science in Sociology.

    The new area controller enlisted into the Nigeria Customs Service in 1981 as Superintendent Collector II, he has been trained at home and abroad.

    Before his posting to Seme Area Command, Ndalati was Comptroller Headquarters, Office of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs

  • NIMASA: Tompolo didn’t import gunboats

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA) Director-General Patrick Akpobolokemi, has denied a report that a company owned by former Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) imported six decommissioned Norwegian warships.

    He described the reports  as “unfounded rumours”and the handiwork of “people who are bent on blackmailing the agency because of its war against illegalities on the nation’s territorial waters”.

    Three of the boats, he said, were inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan during the groundbreaking of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State, in May.

    “Also, we have taken people round all those things. Senators have come to see them, some even said militants were the ones driving the boats; even today, if you want, we can go back there. So, what is the complaint?

    ‘’They are complaining because we are doing our job. We are not allowing illegalities. They will not come and tell you this truth, but we know,” he said.

    Akpobolokemi said no law stops private firms from doing business with the agency, advising NIMASA critics to be objective.

    He said: “Our laws permit that the agency can partner with anyone. In the section of our Act, it says NIMASA in furtherance of its function can partner with any person or group of person and any corporate organisation. So, people should not just stay somewhere to spread rumours. Also, rumours should give way for objectivity, facts that are verifiable and this should be benchmark against national laws and standard and possibly international conventions.

    “When we have private people who are only supplying boats for us and that is the sin that is being committed. I don’t think NIMASA owes anyone hiding under the verge of its vessels being seized for oil theft or organised piracy apology.”

    The NIMASA chief said shipowners were employing unnecessary litigations to stall the removal of abandoned vessels and wrecks on the coastal waters, thereby endangering navigation.

    He accused culprits of using the moribund vessels and the wrecks to harbour criminals.

    Akpobolokemi told The Nation that the Federal Government has awarded contract for the removal of wrecks and abandoned vessels on the territorial waters, saying work would begin soon.

    Many of those who have abandoned their old wrecked-ships, Akpobolokemi said, would surface   to ask for compensation through the courts few days to the removal of their wrecks.

    He said: “NIMASA will issue over 20 marine notices for them to come and remove the wrecks, but you will not see them, but the day you want to go and remove the wrecks, you will discover that a wreck that has been abandoned for five years, suddenly you will see crew, the next day; they are in court to get an injunction”

    Somebody, whose ship is old and abandoned on the waters, would go to court and say the wreck is good and will demand N10 billion compensation from NIMASA, he said, adding that wrecks can cause navigation problems and became a hiding space for criminals.

    According to him, some people didn’t want his agency to remove the abandoned ships because they were using them for some nocturnal activities.

    The first phase of the job, he said, had been awarded, adding that the Lagos area and some other zones are included in the contract.

    Akpobolokemi spoke of the agency’s frustration whenever it embarks on removal of wrecks.

    He said the agency has tightened its noose against international oil companies to ensure that they comply with the Cabotage Act.

    NIMASA, he said, has mandated the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to ensure that right of first refusal was given to indigenous ship owners in compliance with the  Local Content Law and the Cabotage Act.

    Akpobolokemi urged the indigenous ship owners to be honest in their quest to participate in oil lifting and other coastal trade.

    “When any Nigerian buys a vessel, no matter my schedule, I personally do the commissioning, and I have also written to so many oil companies that they must provide jobs for such vessels and many of them have got jobs, but they will not come out and announce it,” he said.

  • Embark on e-transactions, Customs urged

    The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has urged the Nigeria Customs Service to embark on paperless transactions at the ports to reduce human contact and corruption.

    The Chairman, Tin Can Island Chapter of the association, Chief Austin Ekweozor, said paperless transactions would facilitate trade, eliminate corruption and promote efficiency.

    The NAGAFF chief said his association was ready to support the Customs in becoming IT-compliant, adding that it would help them separate the professionals from the quacks at the ports.

    “I see the ongoing movement for paperless transaction as a very good reform that can help this country. It will help our operations to improve, because carrying papers about does not help the system, but when you have your payment receipts and your print-outs, all the information you carry will be in the system and this will minimise the corrupt practices we are witnessing in  this country.

    “The introduction of the scheme will help us to know who is the agent and who are the touts in the port, if you cannot access Customs server and key into their system to perfect your document by yourself as an agent, then, it will show the type of job you do at the port as a real agent or quack,” he said.

    Ekweozor listed the merits of e-transaction, as  elimination of alterations on bill of lading and other importation documents, among others.

    He said paperless transactions would make officials of Customs, shipping companies and terminal operators more professional.

    “The last meeting we had with the CAC Tin Can, he told us they are working towards expanding the server to reduce the problems they usually have with it.

    “He promised us that they will invite expatriates that will look into the system to make sure that the capacity of information loaded into the server will be accumulated without any server failure. We are therefore, looking up to Customs to introduce the paperless scheme to their efficiency,” Ekweozor said.

  • ‘Lift ban on collection of transaction fees’

    The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has urged   the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, to lift the ban on transaction fees collection at the ports.

    Its Registrar, Mike Jukwe, made the call during the inauguration  of the council’s corporate head office in Lagos.

    He said lifting the ban would boost CRFFN’s commitment to professionalism in freight forwarding and supply chain management practice in Nigeria, adding that the council is on the right track towards achieving its objective.

    He  lamented  that inadequate funding has affected the council‘s quest to discharge its duty effectively.

    “Our challenges are many. One  of them is inadequate funding to execute the numerous planned activities of the council to be realised through the lifting of suspension on collection of internally generated revenue which is the transaction fee.

    “We are aware that the minister is committed to lifting the suspension and we appeal to him  to do so as soon as possible,” he stated.

    Jukwe   said   the council has put in place necessary requirements to  ensure standardisation in the registration of practitioners, which according to him, include education and training.

    He assured that CRFFN will cooperate and support the freight forwarding sub sector.

    “The council is optimistic that with the cooperation and support of all concerned, the freight forwarding sector would be repositioned to an enviable height in the country and would compete favourably in the comity of nations and for the much needed wealth creation and employment opportunity for the good of the citizenry”.

    The registrar however assured that with the formal opening of new corporate head office, the council is set to consolidate on effective delivery of its mandate.

    In his remark, the Minister of Transpor, Senator Idris Umar, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Maritime Services from the ministry, Mr. Patrick Ekawu Odey, said the Federal Government attached great importance to human capacity building for the council.

    Umar said the ministry is already working on modalities on  collection of transaction fee by the CRFFN.

    He also said that government is desirous of introducing dynamic bureaucracy that would contend with emerging global challenges.

    “It is for this reason that the council has made staff training a culture and undoubtedly, we will not only continue to pay adequate attention to staff training but would also demand reciprocity and improved qualitative service delivery from staff,” he said.

  • How Customs made N950b in 11 months, by comptroller

    How Customs made N950b in 11 months, by comptroller

    The Nigeria Customs Service generated N950.1 billion between January and November.

    The Comptroller, Apapa Area Command, Charles Edike, who  gave the figure at the inauguration of the Executive Council of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) at Apapa, Lagos,said it is a 23. 4 percent increase on Lagos, last year’s figure of N769.3 billion.

    He said Customs saved N36.9 billion from the one  percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) charges on import hitherto paid to service providers since it took over the Destination Inspection Scheme last December.

    On the impact of the Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) on the economy, Edike said Customs has overcome the challenges, receiving 201,330 requests for PAAR. Of the figure, 188,424  have been released and 108,169  uplifted with a total Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) of N5.6 trillion.

    He  said  the new clearance procedure has not only increased  the revenue profile of the Service but   helped in reducing cost and time of clearance of goods at the ports.

    Edike said the Service has gained the recognition of the World Customs Organisation because of the successes it recorded since the introduction of PAAR, thus, according it a model organisation status among Customs administrations.

    He, however, noted that the biggest challenge of the new clearance procedure is lack of compliant  to trade regulations by importers as a total of 14, 259 PAAR have so far been rejected.

    He said the non compliant status of importers is the reason why some PAAR documents are queried.

    “The biggest challenge is about compliance. Your PAAR will not be queried so long as you are transparent and don’t cut corners. But when you want to cut corners, your PAAR will be queried because the system is robust enough,” Edike said.

    Also speaking, representative of the Comptroller General, Controller KLT command, Comptroller Frances Enwereuzor, while congratulating the new executives, said the role of the media in the development of the maritime sector is important  hence it must be discharged with great sense of responsibility and dedication to duty.  She urged the executives to continue to promote the existing relationship between the Service and the association.

    In her speech, President of the association, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Obi noted that the industry is beset with various challenges, including the traffic gridlock along the port access road which require urgent attention from the government.

    She said the association in fulfilling its responsibility through wide reportage, will continue to work with other stakeholders to proffer solution to the challenges.

    She promised to continue to sustain the valuable leadership style of her predecessor, Mr. Bolaji Akinola.  Meanwhile, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “C” Owerri, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS,) recorded another major breakthrough in the onslaught against smuggling of contraband frozen poultry in the country.Two trucks loaded with  685 cartons of frozen poultry with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N30, 595,050.00 concealed in 4,400 cartons of La’casera apple drinks and  50 bags of locally made animal feeds were impounded by the eagle eyed officers and men of the Nigeria Customs FOU Zone ‘C’ on the Asaba/Onitsha and Calabar axis respectively.

    The Customs Area Controller of the unit,Dimka Victor David, told The Nation  that a Renault trailer truck was used by the smugglers to conceal 450 cartons of the imported frozen poultry with the 4,400 cartons of Lacasera apple drinks, while a Mercedes Benz truck with number plate XU 465 PHC was used to conceal 235 cartons of the imported poultry with 50 bags of locally made animal feeds.

    Dimka, who decried the incalculable harm being inflicted on the nation’s economy as a result of unabated smuggling of prohibited products into the country, warned those still involved in the act to desist forthwith or  have themselves to blame if arrested.

    “We will continue to make this zone very hot and uncomfortable for smugglers to remain in business and we are not mincing words about this.

  • EU Parliament passes law on climate emissions

    For the first time, all shipping companies calling at EU ports will have to measure and publicly report carbon emissions under a law approved by an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. Sustainable transport group, Transport & Environment (T&E), says that the law is weak – it only monitors fuel consumption instead of directly reducing it, and only covers CO2 and not air pollutants like SO2 or NOx – but it can still trigger fuel savings indirectly.

    The EU law will require ship operators to publicly report three metrics to measure the environmental performance of ships: the theoretical energy performance of the ship known as the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI); its real-world fuel consumption; and its energy efficiency, that is, the amount of fuel divided by the amount of cargo. The more cargo a ship can carry using the same amount of fuel, the more efficient and cheaper to run it is.

    The publication of ships’ real energy efficiency will provide shipping users in Europe and worldwide with transparent data to identify the most efficient ships and practices. This can trigger a virtuous cycle of increased competition among operators, which will enable fuel savings and emissions reductions.

    Sotiris Raptis, clean shipping officer at T&E, said: “Today’s decision does not cut CO2 and fuel use directly but can make it happen indirectly. Everybody benefits from better-informed decisions on what types of ships, companies and routes to use. This measure is a stepping stone for an eventual measure to actually require emissions reductions, which is what is urgently needed.”

    Currently ships are responsible for over three per cent  of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The commission estimates that CO2 emissions from ships sailing in European waters amounted to 180 million tonnes in 2010. If these emissions were reported as a country, maritime transport would be Europe’s eighth largest emitter.

    According to the greenhouse gases study adopted by the United Nation’s shipping body, the International Maritime Organisation( IMO), last month, under a business-as-usual scenario and if other sectors of the economy reduce emissions to keep global temperature increases below two degrees Celsius, shipping could represent a whopping 10 per cen t of global GHG emissions by 2050.

  • NIMASA raises the alarm over ‘false’ pirates’ reports

    NIMASA raises the alarm over ‘false’ pirates’ reports

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has raised the alarm over what it calls false international reports on pirates’activities on the nation’s territorial waters.

    Based on the reports, vessels carrying the Nigerian flag, the agency said, were incurring “unnecessary” losses by paying money to foreign marine insurance companies.

    NIMASA’s Director-General, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, told The Nation in Lagos that some foreign insurance firms otherwise known as Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs were sabotaging the economy and painting the country black because of the reports.

    The reports, he said, were aimed at making Nigerians to pay more for imported goods.

    The NIMASA boss said the P&I clubs had made money from the country and other African countries, urging more Nigerians to venture into marine insurance to create wealth and provide jobs for the youth.

    He said: “Virtually all the major insurances in this sector are done outside the country and this is a huge capital flight. The country has a robust population and in  sub-Saharan Africa, almost 70 per cent of the cargo traffic is from Nigeria. So, we have marine insurance.  Why is our insurance companies not tapping into the lucrative business?

    “Sometimes you hear of piracy attacks, but most reported cases of piracy are untrue. They raise the false alarm because the insurance companies intend  to make mone; and if they don’t raise the red flag, how will they make the money? So, that is why they paint our image as bad as possible to get those insurance money.”

    Akpobolokemi said the motive  of those responsible for the false alarm was political and a form of economic sabotage, urging Nigerians to join hands against the alarmists.

    “If we cannot do it alone, all sub-Saharan African countries should be able to come together to form a vibrant insurance company,” he insisted.

    He said since the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) was liquidated many years ago, it had made Nigerian flagged ships attractive for business.

    He pledged that the agency would resuscitate the  national carrier so that it would be involved in the transportation of the nation’s crude oil.

    Akpobolokemi wondered why the country still carried its oil on  Freight on Board (FOB) policy which he said  is a major blow to the economy especially in the area of providing jobs for the youth.

    Former director- general of the defunct Nigeria Maritime Authority (NMA), Mr Patrick Egesi, has urged NIMASA on the need to  seek input from experts before the  acquisition of new ships for the national carrier.

    Egesi, who lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for reappointing  Akpobolokemi, said his reappointment  would give confidence to local and foreign operators.

    He said: “In the process of revamping our shipping line, I foresee a situation whereby some Nigerians will want to float  briefcase shipping companies in order to benefit from the scheme, but I will advise the DG to be careful in that regard.

    “In the line of revamping the national carrier, I will advice the DG of NIMASA to have an eye on what happened as regards to the defunct of NNSL.”

  • High seas becoming unsafe, says expert

    A leading United  Kingdom  (UK) private maritime security firm, Maritime Asset Security and Training Limited (MAST), has said the government cannot guarantee  safetyon the high seas.

    Speaking at the Port Security Summit Conference in London, MAST’s senior ship and yacht contingency response negotiator, Peter Astbury, said: “They are sullen seas and they are becoming less secure for the people who sail them.

    “Although the Indian Ocean is relatively quiet at the moment, the overall political direction of Somalia is far from settled. Things could change very quickly and with very little notice. The prevalence of piracy, cargo theft and crew kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea is well reported and it seems to be re-emerging east of Malacca.”

    He said in the Mediterranean, few people realised the scale of the people displacement caused by the civil war in Syria and its spill over into the wider region. The numbers of people affected ran into millions and are adding significantly to the numbers of migrants entering Europe by boat from Libya – itself in the throes of a chaotic and violent aftermath of the demise of the Gadhafi regime.

    Astbury said: “More than 190,000 people have been trafficked this year alone through Libya into mainly Italy and Malta. With the cost of a passage estimated at up to $1000 per person this implies a flow of funds into to criminal networks of almost $200 million over the same period. Experience in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere has indicated a close connection between people trafficking, piracy and the trafficking of guns and drugs.”

    Astbury explained that the super-connectedness of today’s world sometimes places limits on the extent to which the international community can always act robustly to preserve law and order on the high seas because the policy priority will always be stability and the winning of hearts and minds on land. Sending in the gunboats can sometimes antagonise fractured local communities and throw the internationally recognised political strategy off course.

    He added: “The use of armed guards on ships in exceptional circumstances is likely to ebb and flow but will not disappear.

    “Port authorities have a critical role to play in helping responsible ship owners protect their crews and in support of wider initiatives to curtail illegal gun trafficking – in particular by ensuring that they have transparent, predictable and commercially practical procedures in place to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of lawful firearms handled by properly certified private security teams.

    “These procedures should be dovetailed with the existing obligations and procedures as required by the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS).’’

  • Navy acquires three vessels to fight piracy

    The Nigerian Navy has acquired three new vessels to fight piracy.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Command, Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alade, said the vessels would also assist the Navy to position itself well on the sea and curb criminalities.

    He said: “We have two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) coming from China, that is Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Centenary and also one of them, that is to be completed next year.

    “We also have NNS Opabaran, which is the sister ship to NNS Thunder and we have taken delivery of that in the United States, already.

    “This vessel is going to join the fleet that we have shortly.

    “So, with these vessels joining the Nigerian fleet, we continue to do the things we do at sea, which is, taking absolute charge and control of our waters.”

    Alade said the essence of the sea exercise was to give him an idea of the state of affairs of the vessels at sea, particularly the operational state of the ships.

    “We thank God that we have gone and come back and in my own estimation, the exercise has been very successful.

    “This goes to show you the operational readiness of the Nigerian Navy in particular.

    “For this exercise, we put to sea five vessels and they all performed excellently,” he said.

    Alade said the exercise was an opportunity for Naval personnel to train, emphasising that training at sea was paramount.

  • Monitor wreck-removal, Fed Govt urged

    The Federal Government has been urged to monitor the contractors removing wrecks and abandoned vessels from its territorial waters.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Shipping and Marine Services Ltd, Mr Alex Egenti, said the project required proper monitoring after the government had sunk “huge’’money into it.

    He claimed that in the past, the contracts were awarded but in most cases, the wrecks were never removed  even after the government had paid.

    “If you remove the wreck, the government will pay for it; if you don’t remove the wreck, the government will not pay you,’’ he said.

    Egenti said the industry would experience remarkable improvement if monitoring was replicated in other areas of the sub-sector.

    “Nigeria, being a huge maritime nation, can only maintain a hub status when projects are handled professionally to meet the needs they are designed for,’’ he said.

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in 2009, got the Federal Government’s approval to remove wrecks from the waters for N3.4 billion.

    Twenty-four of the wrecks were said to be obstructive to navigation around waters.

    Surveys in the Lagos waters before the commencement of the project, showed that more than 100 wrecks were lying in various locations on the channel.

    Of the 31 wrecks considered very critical to navigation, NIMASA is working on seven.