Pinnacle Time News

The Comptroller General of Customs, Col, Hameed Ibrahim Ali, Rtd, last week decorated seven management staff he appointed on acting capacity, following their confirmation by the Customs Board. This is even as two former CGC, Alhaji Ahmed Mustapha OFR and Hamman Ahmed Kojoli, including the immediate past Commandant of Customs Command and Staff College, Assistant Comptroller General Charles Edike, retired, past National Coordinator of Headquarters Strike Force, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa and three serving Customs Area Controllers bagged the Nigerian Maritime Industry Living Legends Award, last Friday. Six of the seven newly decorated officers were appointed last year, one climbed the coveted office earlier this year. A statement by the National Spokesman of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah listed the newly decorated the senior Officers with their new ranks to include DCG, Sanusi Umar ( Human Resource Development), ACG, Musa Jibrin ( FATS), ACG, Emmanuel Udo-aka ( SR...

The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, has cleared the air on the alleged financial irregularities of the council, given clean bill of health to all prior financial transactions by his predecessors. The Chairman Council Governing, Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar told Vanguard Maritime Report during the CRFFN 22nd Meeting that there was no truth in the allegation, and that those who alleged have since realized their mistake and forgotten about the matter. He explained that the unfortunate allegation has since been overtaken by events. This is even as the Council has applauded the federal government latest stance in tackling the menace of the Apapa port roads and its environs gridlock, following the ultimate to remove trucks from the affected axis within a given time frame. Speaking on the alleged financial irregularities purportedly by past administrations, Abubakar said that the Council has been working and not impeded in any way, adding that Aniebonam has w...

The Oyo State and the federal government has formally exchanged letters of handover of 90 hectares of land acquired and donated to the federal government by the state for the establishment of the Oyo Inland Dry Port, estimated at USD99, 655, 626. .The ceremony which held at the State House, Agodi Ibadan, had members of the state cabinet fully on ground, with top management staff members of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the facilitator of the project Oyo State Executive Governor, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi while handing over the letter to the Transportation Minister and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and Barrister Hassan Bello respectively, said his administration believe that the project located at Olorisa Oke area of the state capital will turn around the economic fortune of the state around. The governor expressed gratitude to the federal government for choosing the state as one of the pilot inland dry ports, noting that the economic part...

Confusion has hit the leadership and management of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, over perceived failure of its recent policy adjustment into the operational modus operandi of the Headquarters Strike Force, the service’s elitist enforcement unit. The immediate backlash of the failed policy saw the National Coordinator of the Headquarters Strike Force, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa with his team sacked three weeks ago, while the unit was decentralized and reconstituted on regional basis. The strike force operational adjustment which followed a directive of Col. Hameed Ali, Retired, the Comptroller General of Customs, for the Strike Force to also enter the ports to checkmate smuggling and curb further loses of revenue was however adjudged a failed venture following fierce resistance by forces within and without the service. Grapevine revealed that the failed policy was largely the result of intrigues and power play between contending power interests in the service and the off...

There are indications of post election war between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Intels Nigeria Limited (Intels), as the former has reportedly terminated Intels’ pilotage contract with it over alleged failure of Intel’s to remit $145.84m. Reacting, Intels accused NPA of playing the political herring, and explained that the said debt settlement is a mutual one, predicated on NPA paying contract fee debt of $19.67 million been part of the agreement reached under terms of reciprocity. Interestingly, NPA has faulted Intels defence saying the concept of reciprocity is alien to their agreement. The resumed hostility may not be unconnected with the recent indictment of NPA by the House of Representatives for withholding $21.3 million and €6,626,429.59 from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the federal government. NPA through its Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman had explained that the monies in question were the outcome of third party actions not directly committed by ...

Confusion has hit the leadership and management of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, over perceived failure of its recent policy adjustment into the operational modus operandi of the Headquarters Strike Force, the service’s elitist enforcement unit. National Coordinator of the Headquarters Strike Force, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa was sacked and his team dissolved, following what insiders described as backlash effects of the  management’s failure to implement the controversial directive in which the strike force was positioned to operate even at the ports, alongside constituted port command authority. The adjustment which followed a directive of Col. Hameed Ali, Retired, the Comptroller General of Customs, for Strike Force to also operate inside the ports to checkmate smuggling and curb further loses of revenue was however adjudged a failed venture following fierce resistance by forces within and without the service. Meanwhile, stakeholders have said that the best optio...

The Federal Government has given hint as to the probable remote cause of the death of Mr. Joshua Okpo, who was Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, between 2011 and 2015. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who dropped the hint recently at Oron during the commissioning of some projects under the academy’s new management said the late rector died sooner after he was informed of government’s intention to probe him over alleged misappropriation of N19billion in one year. According to the minister, gross mismanagement of the academy’s fund under the late rector was responsible for the regime of project abandonment, in addition to its low level of development. The minister, who was visiting the academy first time since his appointment in 2015 however said nothing about the backlog of abandoned projects inherited by the late rector. He did not also say how much it cost the present administration to complete the said abandoned projects. Amaechi sai...

There are indications of post election war between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Intels Nigeria Limited (Intels), as the former has reportedly terminated Intels’ pilotage contract with it over alleged failure of Intel’s to remit $145.84m. Reacting, Intels accused NPA of playing the political herring, and explained that the said debt settlement is a mutual one, predicated on NPA paying contract fee debt of $19.67 million been part of the agreement reached under terms of reciprocity. Interestingly, NPA has faulted Intels defence saying the concept of reciprocity is alien to their agreement. The resumed hostility may not be unconnected with the recent indictment of NPA by the House of Representatives for withholding $21.3 million and €6,626,429.59 from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the federal government. NPA through its Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman had explained that the monies in question were the outcome of third party actions not directly committed by the...

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, (NESREA), has sealed off a production company, Kwo Chief Investment Limited, for illegal production and exportation of charcoal in Nigeria. NESREA said the Chinese company located at Obimo in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State has been engaged in the production or exportation of charcoal without a valid permit issued by the Federal or State Department of Forestry, making its activities illegal. A statement by the agency said the matter will be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded. The agency explained that there is a pending ban on the production of charcoal for export, noting that local commercial production is allowed within the ambit of the law. The statement reads in part: “Investigations showed that the company was operating illegal charcoal production facilities at Ikem and Obimo in Isi-Uzo and Nsukka local government areas of Enugu State without permit.  “This runs contra...

 The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, last week disclosed that it is currently engaging the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service and its supervisory ministry, the Federal Ministry of Finance in working out a special tariff template for  the importation of vessels and its parts by indigenous shippers. NIMASA spokesman, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi in a statement quoted the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside as saying the effort is in response to the need to ameliorate the workability of Cabotage Law on the backdrop of challenges faced by indigenous players, believed to be swimming against unfair industry policies and competition. The statement said the DG NIMASA is concerned about certain negatives assailing the implementation of Cabotage, and explained that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to remove bottlenecks militating against indigenous players. The statement quoted Peterside as saying, “At th...

The Nigerian Licensed Ship Chandlers Association has said the Nigeria Navy is still holding on to indigenous vessels ordered released by court following favourable judgments in favour of the said vessels. The said vessels are part of the 130 arrested by the Navy between 2018 and February 2019. The chandlers said the Navy has refused to release the vessels affected by the judgment given under competent courts of law, setting itself above the laws of the land; and constituting unnecessary impediments to trade, with wrong signals to the international community that may be interested in investing in the nation’s maritime industry. President of the association, Dr. Charles Enebeli told said that effort to make the naval authority release the vessels have so far fallen on deaf ears. He explained that this ugly episode is capable of eroding investors confidence in the economy, adding that the development has impacted negatively on the activities of chandlers and vessel owners, some of who...

The Federal Government has given hint as to the probable remote cause of the death of Mr. Joshua Okpo, who was Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, between 2011 and 2015. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who dropped the hint last week at Oron during the commissioning of some projects under the academy’s new management said the late Rector died, sooner after he was informed of government’s intention to probe him over alleged misappropriation of N19billion in one year. Amaechi reportedly lamented that gross mismanagement of the academy’s fund was responsible for its low level of development and projects abandoned by the Okpo. The minister, who was visiting the academy for the first time, barely few weeks to the end of his four year’s tenure, however said nothing about the backlog of abandoned projects Okpo inherited. He did not also say how much it cost the present administration to complete the said abandoned projects. Amaechi said t...

Our economic reforms are old-fashion Chief Ernest Elochukwu, a former National President and later, Chairman Board of Trustees of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, needs no introduction.   Erudite, articulate, penetrating, frank, straightforward and unsparing in his political and economic analysis, he bestrides the ports industry like a colossus. Petit and characteristically punchy and fiery every time he engages in public discourse, officials prefer to avoid engaging him while opponents find it impossible to ignore his critical views.  In this chat EGUONO ODJEGBA, Elochukwu took a long look at our port practices and conclude government reforms in the maritime industry has failed to deliver on objectives. Excerpt: Expectations that some of the critical negatives affecting our ports system will get resolved within reasonable time frame is becoming a mirage, ranging from failed port access roads to 24hrs ports operation executive orde...