The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)

  • ‘Eighth National Assembly failed in oversight duty’ 

    National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents President Lucky Amiwero has said the Eighth National Assembly failed in its oversight function in the industry.

    According to him, the legislators failed to ensure that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) obeyed extant laws.

    The legislators, he said, had powers to prevent corruption, ensure that funds are used as appropriated and insist that MDAs stay focused on their mandates.

    Most parastatals, he said, did not meet stakeholders’ expectations  that would have impacted on the economy.

    “The National Assembly has function of oversight but they did not do well in the last assembly as far as the maritime industry is concerned.

    “They were supposed to ensure that parstatals such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) and all others worked in accordance with their laws.

    “For instance, NIMASA spent so much time and money organising conferences and seminars as if that was its major function. We expect the new committees in charge of maritime in the Senate and House of Representatives to check these excesses

    “NIMASA is supposed to be committed in establishing enabling environment for indigenous operators through fleet expansion, provision of maritime infrastructure, development of indigenous manpower, among others.

    “It is supposed to synchronise its operations with Section 105 of the Local Content Act without losing sight of Sections 16 and 17 of the NIMASA Act.

    “The non-disbursement of Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund ( CVFF) is not good for the industry despite several assurances given by government,” he said.

    On the maritime related bills, which President Muhammadu Buhari did not sign, Amiwero suggested that experts be invited to look into the matter.

    NPA, according to him, lacked clearly spelt out duties in a port concession regime as its Act does not provide for it.

    He advised the Ninth National Assembly against politicising its role, arguing that the interest of all should be the overriding consideration in law making.

    Buhari cited the proposed mode of funding for Nigerian Maritime University for not signing the bill.

    No reason was given for not signing the bill establishing the National Transport Commission which sought to replace NSC.

  • Reps, NPA disagree on cause of revenue reduction at Ports

    The House of Representatives Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways was on Thursday told why there is a continuous reduction in the influx of cargoes into the Nigerian ports and by extension, the revenue accruing to the federal government.

    The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Usman while at the 2019 budget Defence of the Organisation before the committee, said federal Government policies is mostly responsible for the low traffic at the Nigeria Ports.

    But the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Pat Asadu disagreed with her saying she was just scratching the surface with her prognosis and there were more profound reasons the country is losing he revenue at the ports.

    The committee has asked the NPA boss reasons for the drop in ships and  cargo performance at the ports.

    The NPA boss said: “We have noted a reduction in traffic coming into our ports. We attribute this to the fact that Nigeria has been advocating for self-sustenance in terms of manufacturing and consuming what it produces.

    “And so, this attendance reduction in cargo, in our understanding, is attributable to that. Because some of the items that constitute this drop include for example, the automobile policy, which had increased the cost of importation of automobiles from 30 to 70 percent, in order to stimulate manufacturing in Nigeria. So, there is steep decline in the importation of vehicles.

    “We also have an additional list of items that has been banned for importation. This is to try to stimulate production of certain items in the country and also ensuring that most levels of agric produce are produced and consumed in Nigeria.

    “So you can see the number of ocean-going vessels is reducing. The agencies that work around revenue generation for importation of cargo will be seen not to have performed .She said items that used to be imported and consumed in Nigeria before are now being produced in Nigeria.

    “But the committee chairman said: “I don’t want us to just dismiss this. You may want to look to see what other things are going on. I think maybe we should look at things like efficiency of cargo clearance. We know what is going on with the congestions at the ports. I have no doubt in my mind that there are a lot of other factors.”

    He said the euphoria that the country is producing more than importing certain items should not stop efforts to seek proper solutions to the problems.

    Usman told the committee that the projected internally generated revenue for 2019 was N276.75 and net revenue from oil source is N255.69.

    While total projected expenditure, she said, stands at N229.91bn and is made up of operating expenses N110.71 bn, overhead costs N52.13 bn and pension cost N58.58bn. Capital expenditure, she also said, is N119.21bn

    Usman told the lawmakers that NPA hopes to remit N20.62 bn to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) from its projected operating surplus of N25.77bn.

  • NPA Delta indigenes: support maritime operators

    The federal government has appealed to maritime- impacted communities in Delta state to support efforts to revive ports activities by not pressuring operators.

    The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, made the plea during the official handing over of ceremony of the Terminal B, Berth 4 of the Old Warri Port to Ocean and Cargo Services limited, a partner to maritime industry giant, SIFAX Group, at NPA, Warri on Monday.

    Bala- Usman, who was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations of the NPA, Dr Sokonte Davies, concessioning of ports facilities was carried out to enhance productivities and attract more cargos to the hitherto abandoned ports.

    Appealing to the people in the host communities to the maritime environment, the NPA chief executive officer said the dividends of supporting the federal government’s initiatives in the maritime would be an enhanced economy for Warri and environs, the state and surplus of jobs for people from the communities.

    “We therefore implore the impacted communities, in making the government’s efforts a success, they should work positively with the concessioner; the communities should try not to put any pressure on them because pressures can shut the business down.

    “But if the communities support them, they will see that as activities increase and vessels come, it will increase the engagement of young men and women, even the old people.

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    “The communities will be positively impacted because economy will grow and it will have positive effect on every area of life of the people.

    “We are using this opportunity to appeal to the host communities to help this one to work. It is working in other places, don’t let yours be different,” Bala-Usman said.

    Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) Alex Okoh, on behalf of the National Council on Privatisation, expressed satisfaction at the milestone event.

    He said that Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited emerged the successful concessionaire for the transaction.

    He revealed the concession of Terminal B is for a period of 25 years at an annual lease fee of US$1,621,500.00 in addition to the entry fee and monthly throughput fee chargeable on volume of cargo handled

    According to him: “The objective of the government in Port concession is to increase efficiency in our ports, improve service delivery, upgrade and modernize facilities in ports, reduce cost of shipping and clearing of goods at the Ports and relive the government of the burden of financing the sector.”

    Group Managing Director of SIFAX Group Adekunle Oyinloye said Ocean and Cargo Services Limited was ready to deliver efficient services at the port and make the Warri Port a vibrant and enviable hub of maritime activities again.

  • North West APC to increase Buhari’s vote haul

    A The North West Chapter of the All progressive Congress (APC) has promised to increase President Muhammadu Buhari’s vote haul to 12m from the previous 7.5m vote the area gave him during the 2015 general elections.

    The chapter spoke ahead of the APC Presidential Campaign Mega rally on Thursday February 14th in Katsina.

    Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari who was represented by the State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Shittu Shittu made the above disclosure during the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), empowerment program held at the old Government House, where no fewer than 1,000 indegenes were empowered with equipment and capitals to establish small businesses.

    He said that the region would not be lagging in expectations to deliver, and has since embarked on aggressive campaigns at all levels to ensure victory for the party. He observed that with current crisis rocking the party in Zamfara and parts of Sokoto and Kano the party, has no choice than work hard to ensure a sweeping victory in the zone

    Meanwhile, additional one thousand people who are spread across the state were also given various equipment and items to begin small scale enterprises.

    The empowerment which began with people in the Katsina senatorial zone of the state is expected to be extended to people in Funtua and Daura zones during the week.

    The Katsina empowerment exercise saw some beneficiaries going home with ten thousand naira each (N10, 000) while some were given various equipment including sewing machines, pumping machines and grinding machines.

    The beneficiaries, who were both men and women, were expected to use the equipment to start their business entrepreneurs and become fully engaged instead of depending on others for survival.

    An elder in the state and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abba Ali, who spoke at the occasion, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of whatever they were given.

    The NPA Managing Director, Hajiya Hadiza Usman who was represented at the occasion by Mallam Musa Abubakar, said the empowerment was part of efforts to augment President Muhammadu Buhari’s government steps at creating jobs for Nigerians, also to develop Katsina state,

    Earlier the NPA has installed 282 Solar lights  for  282 Almajiri schools spread across the thirty four local government areas of the state and distributed 500  chairs to primary schools   and given point of lay chicken to women in the state, among others.

  • NPA provides succour for displaced Bakassi returnees

    For the displaced people of Bakassi in Cross River State, it was another moment of respite as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), made donations of assorted food and household items to them at their primary school camp in Akwa Ikot Eyo Edem in Akpabuyo local government area.

    The NPA management also provided free medical services and drugs to the aged, women, children and others with different health challenges.

    The Managing Director of the NPA, Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman, who made the donation said the gesture was part of the NPA’s corporate social responsibility.

    The almost 2000 Bakassi returnees including women, children and the aged living in the dilapidated camp since 2013, since they were forcefully evicted from Cameroon following the judgement of the International Court of Justice that ceded Bakassi to Cameroon.

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    Usman, who was represented by the Manager of the Calabar Port,  Mrs Olufunmilayo Olotu, said they were moved by the dilapidated state of the camp, and promised that that the NPA will make the gesture to improving the lot needy in the state a regular one.

    Some of items donated included bags of rice and garri, tubers or of yam, noodles, vegetable oil, milk, salt among others.

    The leader of the camp, Chief Etim Okon Ene, who received the items was elated, and expressed gratitude for the donation.

    Okon Ene also expressed surprise that that the NPA responded swiftly to their appeal, despite the short notice.

    He requested for more assistance to his people, especially with the provision of farm tools and manures.

  • Ships conveying petrol, other commodities, expected at Lagos ports

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is expecting 36 ships to bring petroleum products, food items and other goods to Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in Lagos, from Dec. 6 to Dec. 29.

    The NPA made this known in its daily publication `Shipping Position’ made available to newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

    Read Also:‘How petrol attendant, supervisor planned robbery’

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that six of the 36 ships will sail in with petrol.

    The other 30 ships are carrying buckwheat, general cargo, ethanol, aviation fuel, steel, diesel, sugar and containers of different goods.

    According to the NPA, 16 ships have arrived the ports waiting to berth with bulk fertiliser, general containers and petrol.

  • Lagos Assembly decries congestion at Sekumade, Ikorodu Road

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has decried the congestion at Sekumade Road in Ikorodu area of Lagos caused by heavy duty trucks.
    The House has therefore called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to call on the Commissioner for Transport, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), management of Ipakodo Lighter Terminal to put a stop to indiscriminate parking of long vehicles on the road.
    The Assembly also called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to provide a place where long vehicles would park before they load goods from the terminal.
    Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni to get across to the Governor on the resolution of the House on the matter.
    The matter was raised by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu Constituency 1) under Matter of Urgent Public Importance at plenary on Thursday.
    Agunbiade condemned the indiscriminate parking of heavy duty trucks in Sekumade Road, Ikorodu, which he said was one of the two roads that leads to Ikorodu.
    “The road is an important access road to Imota, Ijede and others. The roads around the lighter terminal in Ipakodo has become an eyesore.
    “The long vehicles always block the road and they would be there for days. They don’t even have security light that would prevent accident. That was how it started in Apapa Area of Lagos before it became an eyesore,” he said.
    The Majority Leader stated that it was important that the Commissioner for Transport should review the law on movement of vehicles, while also calling on leaders of LASTMA to rise to the occasion on the matter.

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    He added that Public Works should be called upon to repair the roads, which he said has been destroyed by the long vehicles.
    In his contribution, Hon. Rotimi Olowo said that the Ipakodo Sekumade Road is very important, adding that it would not be fair to allow vehicles to block the road.
    He stated that companies like Dangote should also be cautioned with the way their vehicles are parked in the area and that the matter should be nipped in the bud now.
    Also speaking, Hon. Olusegun Olulade (Epe Constituency 1) said that the area is strategic to Epe, saying that other roads are always blocked, and that Sekumade road that can not contain two vehicles is now totally blocked.
    In his view, Hon. Nurudeen Saka Solaja (Ikorodu Constituency 2) stated that the road is waterlogged, and that trailers and containers that are parked there are causing a lot of problems for the people.
    Hon. Ibrahim Layode however stated that the people of the area and the state should not be complaining as they always pray for improvement in commercial activities.
    “So we should not be complaining. The problem starts from the government, we wanted light terminals without providing where the trucks would park. We are not doing what would give us money. The law enforcement agencies cannot help matters. The local governments ought to provide parking spaces for the vehicles,” he said.
    Hon. Abiodun Tobun from Epe Constituency 1, in his contribution, suggested that people should not be allowed to do whatever they like in the state.
    “What is happening in Sekunmade is not right. There are traffic control officers in Ikorodu West Local Government that can do the job. We should fine anyone that parks vehicles there indiscriminately. Whoever refuses to do so should have his vehicle impounded,” he said.

  • Apapa Wharf road ready in September – NPA

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Usman, has said that the 2km Apapa Wharf Road being reconstructed would be completed and opened to motorists by the end of next month.

    Usman made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

    The managing director said that the reconstruction which would cost N4.34 billion would enable the Federal Government to achieve its goals as regards the Ease of Doing Business.

    She said that NPA was working with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to rehabilitate all ports’ access roads in the country to ensure a level playing field and to also facilitate trade.

    According to her, NPA and the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing will develop a mechanism for funding all reconstruction and rehabilitation of ports’ access roads.

    She said that government had also approved the commencement of reconstruction of Tin-Can Island Port access road to Mile that the contractor would start work any moment.

    She also said that the Apapa Port had been illuminated for 24-hour port operations, noting that the authority was working toward an electronic gate system to stop touting within the port environment.

    Usman said that NPA had put in place an aggressive monitoring mechanism, adding that the authority visited the site from time to time to check the progress and any bottleneck within the construction area.

    NAN reports that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, had on June 16, 2017, signed a N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dangote Group and other stakeholders for the reconstruction of Apapa Wharf Road.

    The project is being funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd., an arm of the Dangote Group, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

    Fashola had explained that the gridlock in Apapa became compounded and had reached an unbearable level as transporters ignored the old system of moving cargo through rail to trucks and containers.

    He said that the choice of the transporters to use road instead of rail for haulage increased gridlock, caused degeneration as well as well hardship to residents of Apapa.

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    He commended the leadership role’ of the stakeholders in solving the complex problems in Apapa and its environs.

    According to him, the situation has caused stress to residents, business owners and other stakeholders in the state.

    “As a result of all these unsavoury practices, we have reached a point of near total gridlock. It is difficult to move cargo in or out; difficult for residents to get home and this must stop,’’ he said.

    Fashola said that it took time to reach an agreement on the project because the stakeholders were putting up an effective design that would address the drainage problem because the area was water-logged.

    The minister said that though the three parties (Dangote, Flour Mills and NPA) were funding the project, the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing would supervise it through all the stages to ensure quality and compliance to standards.

    The construction commenced on July 17, 2017.

  • 34 ships laden with petroleum products, food items to arrive Lagos ports

    Thirty four ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected to arrive Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports in Lagos between Monday and April 27.

    The Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA ) stated this in its publication, ‘Shipping Position’, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Monday.

    15 of the expected 34 ships would sail in with petrol.

    NPA said that the remaining 19 ships contained bulk wheat,  bulk sugar, bulk frozen fish, ethanol, bulk fertiliser, general cargo and containers laden with goods.

    The document indicated that 10 ships had arrived the ports  and waiting to berth with bulk fertiliser and petrol.

    NAN

  • Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction only 10% completed

    Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction only 10% completed

    The Apapa-Wharf Road reconstruction in Lagos State has achieved only 10 per cent completion, an official of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing ( FMPWH ), has said.

    Mrs Olukorede Keisha, an FMPWH engineer supervising the project, said on Tuesday at the project site that presence of gas pipes and other public utilities in the road’s Right of Way ( RoW ) delayed the project execution.

    The engineer said that the contractors handling the project had, however, resolved the problem.

    Keisha said that 200 metres of concrete road and 230 metres of drains had been constructed on section one of the project.

    “The project is about 10 per cent completed; we finished 230 metres of drain and 200 metres of concrete road on section one.

    “We have about four layers of road to make the pavement rigid; the road thickness is 600mm,’’ she said.

    She said that the project had four sections.

    Keisha told NAN that a design alteration was done to take care of the gas pipelines in the RoW of the road so as to meet the completion date of June 2018.

    “There is no need to relocate the pipelines again; the pipes are encased. We had to redesign in order to safeguard the pipes for work to continue.

    “It is a shift in alignment, we shifted it forward,’’ she said.

    She said that the redesign gave the opportunity for deep excavation to lay a solid foundation for a durable concrete road.

    On potholes on some portions of the highway, Keisha said that rehabilitation work had begun on the bad portions.

    According to Keisha, the ministry will use the Christmas holiday to take care of the most critical portions on the reconstruction zone and other roads in Apapa.

    NAN reports that some rolling machines were being used to compact construction materials on about 500 metres stretch of the road on the Ijora/CMS Carriageway.

    The machines were compacting soil-based materials to connect to a concrete section of the road.

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    Meanwhile, some of the road users have appealed for speedy completion of the project.

    A food vendor, Mrs Kaka Kolo, appealed to the Federal Government to increase funding for road repair in Apapa.

    “Trailers are the ones spoiling the road always. The best thing is for government to give contractors more money to repair roads.

    “Government should not wait for potholes to get big and trailers start falling before it does something,’’ she said.

    Also, Mallam Awal Usman, a truck driver, called for repair of all bad roads on the axis.

    He urged collaboration of all government agencies to end gridlock in Apapa.

    Usman, however, praised traffic managers for checking traffic offences compounding gridlock on the axis.

    Another truck driver, Mr Odu Nwoye, told NAN that the efforts of traffic managers had reduced accidents caused by bad roads and reckless driving on the axis.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on June 17 signed a N4.34 billion Memorandum of Understanding  ( MoU ) with AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd. and some other stakeholders for the reconstruction of the four-kilometre Apapa-Wharf Road.

    The project is being funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA ) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.