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Tag: Ports

  • Blue Economy: Revamping more ports will boost National Development – Aniagwu

    Blue Economy: Revamping more ports will boost National Development – Aniagwu

    Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, has emphasized that revamping and expanding more ports across Nigeria is essential to unlocking the full potential of the country’s blue economy.

    Speaking during an interview on ADBN Television on Friday, Aniagwu noted that strategic investments in port infrastructure would significantly enhance national development, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s maritime logistics framework.

    He explained that the South-South region is the natural hub of Nigeria’s blue economy, as all states in the region are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.

    According to him, over-reliance on the Apapa Port in Lagos has hindered the growth of Nigeria’s maritime potential, and he called for the decentralization of port services to stimulate broader economic development.

    Aniagwu urged the Federal Government to harness the vast economic potential of the nation’s aquatic resources, particularly in the Niger Delta region, to drive national growth.

    He noted that the Delta State Government, under the leadership of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, is already creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, especially in sectors tied to the blue economy.

    He highlighted the state’s ongoing infrastructure efforts, including improved road connectivity between urban and rural areas.

    “The Oborevwori administration is constructing a new road in Asaba that leads to the River Niger, opening up opportunities and laying the foundation for a new city, the Asaba Waterfront City,” he said.

    He further stated that residents can now travel from Asaba to Warri in just one hour and fifty minutes, thanks to the completion of a smooth dual carriageway that is free of potholes, greatly enhancing travel efficiency and regional connectivity.

    “Improved infrastructure like the Asaba-Ughelli dual carriage is not just about ease of movement. It is also about enabling trade, attracting investment, and fostering sustainable development. This kind of development creates a ripple effect across multiple sectors.”

    He emphasized the need to fully develop and maximize the existing ports in the Niger Delta including Warri, Koko, Sapele, and Burutu in Delta State, the Ibom Deep Seaport in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom. State, Onne Port in Rivers and the Calabar Port in Cross River, as viable alternatives to Lagos ports.

    Aniagwu also advocated for the establishment of a functional port in Lokoja and the dredging of the River Niger to allow larger vessels to berth there.

    This, he said, would ease cargo movement to the Middle Belt and other parts of Northern Nigeria, reducing dependence on the congested Apapa Port.

    “Reviving and expanding these ports will allow Nigeria to participate more competitively in the global maritime economy,” he stated. “It will also diversify our national revenue streams and reduce our over-reliance on oil.”

    He recalled that experts have long advocated for investment in modern port infrastructure. A well-equipped port system, he said, is crucial for efficient import and export activities.

    Aniagwu stressed the importance of upgrading port facilities to accommodate large vessels and heavy-duty cargo, positioning Nigeria as a maritime trade hub in West Africa.

    “Imagine the economic transformation if ports in underutilized locations were developed and operated at full capacity,” he said. “This would enable the establishment of free trade zones and supporting infrastructure across various regions of the country.”

    Aniagwu called on relevant authorities, port managers, and stakeholders in the maritime sector to pursue bold reforms and increased investments in port development.

    He further stressed that improved port infrastructure would also extend the lifespan of Nigeria’s road network, as fewer high-tonnage trucks would be needed to transport goods over long distances, thereby reducing road wear and tear.

    “By addressing these long-standing challenges and embracing high-speed connectivity and modern logistics, we can overcome the limitations that have hindered our progress for too long,” Aniagwu affirmed.

  • NPA sets 2024 deadline for $1.1bn ports rehabilitation plan

    NPA sets 2024 deadline for $1.1bn ports rehabilitation plan

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says its embarking on a $1.1 billion ports rehabilitation plan in first quarter of 2024, to fortify Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.

    The Managing Director, NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, said this in a panel session at the 43rd Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) conference held on Tuesday in Lagos.

    According to Bello-Koko, almost every port in Nigeria requires rehabilitation while NPA is initiating a substantial overhaul for all ports, starting with the TinCan and Apapa ports in Lagos.

    “The objective of the authority is to enhance the physical infrastructure of these ports to accommodate vessels of all sizes and increase the draft at the quay side.

    “Increasing the draft is with the aim of achieving draft depths of up to 14 meters and this initiative will render Nigerian ports more competitive on a global scale,” he said.

    Bello-Koko further stated that the NPA was also strengthening collaborations with the private sector to establish new seaports.

    Notably, he said, the Lekki Deep Seaport had already commenced operations, and the Badagry Deep Seaport recently signed an agreement with a Middle-Eastern party, with construction scheduled to commence early next year.

    The NPA managing director noted that these endeavors exemplify the NPA’s determination to create a multimodal transportation system connecting all ports seamlessly.

    On the inefficiencies associated with road-dependence in cargo evacuation, he said the NPA was actively working on alternative initiatives like barges and expanding rail infrastructure.

    He informed that the rail line had reached Apapa port and would soon extend to TinCan port.

    “The survey for deploying cargo rail and tracks to Onne port has been completed, setting the stage for the project to kick off next year,” he said.

    To streamline operations and reduce costs, Bello-Koko said NPA was embracing automation in its operations.

    “The authority has automated its collection system and is collaborating with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to introduce a state-of-the-art port community system, poised to optimise cargo clearance processes.

    “The authority is working on clarifying the responsibilities of government agencies within the ports with the newly developed port process manual aimed at reducing overlaps and eliminating duplication of duties,” he said.

    The NPA boss noted that the deployment of the “Deep Blue Sea” project, equipped with air and sea assets, would enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea and contribute significantly in reducing incidence of piracy within Nigerian waters.

    He said that the NPA was collaborating closely with the Nigerian Customs to reduce bottlenecks and cut the cost of doing business within the ports.

    “There will be development of a 25-year port master plan that will guide the location, sizes, and activities of ports, terminals, and jetties in Nigeria.

    “The master plan will serve as a national working document, uniting all stakeholders towards marine and logistics development.” Bello-Koko said.

    Also speaking, Mr Martin Boguikouma, President, PMAWCA, urged African countries to address challenges facing the region to be able to receive the new volume of traffic that would emerge due to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

    Boguikouma listed ways to solve the challenges, adding that the solution included collaboration between customs and port authority to harmonise customs procedure.

    “We need to ensure capacity building of all seaports and customs officials, sensitise them on how to address cross border trade.

    “There is need to work on reducing transport cost, investing in efficient transport infrastructure, maritime safety through enhanced interstate cooperation,” he said.

    He noted that in Gabon, they had put in place things that would ensure that free trade became a success.

    The PMAWCA president said that signing a Memorandum of Understanding on trade facilitation, harmonised customs duty, which was very important for the AfCFTA, could aid in making free trade successful.

    “We have put in place a National Commission for Trade Facilitation and the commission has three modules which are operationalisation of trade standard, adoption of roadmap for trade facilitation and a regulatory framework,” he said.

  • NPA directs immediate suspension of virtual parks operations

    NPA directs immediate suspension of virtual parks operations

    The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has ordered the immediate suspension of processing of truck through virtual parks on the Eto platform.

    The suspension was announced in a statement issued by Mr Irabor Akonoman. Head of Operations of the Truck Transit Park Ltd., (TTP) in Lagos on Wednesday.

    According to Akonoman, the suspension is part of the ongoing efforts to streamline and optimise the operational processes within the port ecosystem.

    “Therefore, the operation of all virtual parks on the eto platform is halted effective immediately and shall remain so until further notice.

    “All trucks arriving the ports shall have emanated from an NPA approved physical truck park, pre-gate or export processing terminal without exception.

    “Kindly note that all categories including Reefers containers & Fish trucks will continue to have unhindered access to the port but will go through an approved park before coming to the ports,” he said.

    “This directive might warrant adjustments in stakeholders operations. We seek your cooperation and understanding.

    “Your cooperation and understanding during this period of evaluation and adjustment are greatly appreciated, as we collectively work towards improving and enhancing the efficiency of our port operations.,” he said.

  • Acting Customs CG reveals outcome of meeting with Tinubu

    Acting Customs CG reveals outcome of meeting with Tinubu

    The Acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, says the Service will focus on decongesting the nation’s ports.

    At a briefing at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, he said this would make the ports more user friendly and improve an export led economic development strategy.

    After a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Adeniyi said officers and men of the service would carry out their duties in line with the objectives of the Customs Service and the Policy Advisory Document on the Customs (PAC).

    “We had discussions regarding what Customs can bring to the table to actualise the vision of renewed hope for Nigeria, what customers can do in terms of addressing gaps in revenue generation in the customs, our enforcement strategies and most importantly, the issue of promoting port efficiency and competitiveness of our ports.

    “In terms of specifics, I am sure that we are all very, very familiar with the Presidential Advisory Council. And there is a document which has been made public. Our discussions centers around aligning the vision of customs, the activities of custom in the short, medium and long terms with those noble objectives set out in the PAC documents.

    “So,we’re talking about making our ports user friendly.

    “We’re talking about decongesting the ports, we talked about 48 hours clearance of goods around the ports, export led inward looking economic development strategies. So these are some of the issues that we discussed.

    “And I pledged commitment of the customs to bring out reforms and to collaborate with other agencies of government to achieve some of those objectives stated in the PAC documents,” he said.

    Adeniyi said the recent election of Tinubu as ECOWAS Chairman, means more work for the Nigeria Customs and strong collaboration among countries in the region.

    “For us in the Nigerian Customs Service, ECOWAS represents a very bold attempt to forge regional integration, cooperation in border security and monetary affairs.

    “And it is so good to note that my assumption of office coincide with that period when attention will be focused on Nigeria holding the flag of regional integration.

    “I can also tell you that part of my discussions with Mr President is to actively engage customs administration’s across our borders, particularly the strategic ones that we must work and collaborate with for us to achieve common objectives of border security and regional integration.

    “In the next one week, or thereabout, I will be paying an official visit to Republic of Benin, to have discussions with the Customs Administration of Benin, and see how we can take forward the issue of collaborations between us, the issue of border security, the issue of importation across the border, and more importantly, how we can deploy technological solutions to very complex border problems,” he said.

  • CBN gov, Emefiele reveals plans to decongest Apapa,Tincan Island ports

    CBN gov, Emefiele reveals plans to decongest Apapa,Tincan Island ports

    Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the commencement of the Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) will help overcome the Apapa-Tincan Island port congestion.

    Emefiele said this when he visited the facility on Saturday in Itoke Village, Ibeju-Lekki Area, Lagos State.

    The entire 850 hectares free trade zone, acquired about 15 years ago, will commence operations in September 2022.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, right here, and I’m sure you went round with us, you saw the entire fabric of what is happening in this zone, It has a port.

    ”And I’m sure we all know that one of the biggest problems in Nigeria today is congestion of the Apapa and Tincan Island Ports; we have been crying about what needs to be done to decongest that area.

    “In fact, it got to the point where Mr President gave a mandate that it must be cleared, but because of certain structural problems in that Apapa and Tincan area, we have not been able to clear those containers.

    “So, we are really saying that the Lagos port operation in conjunction with Chinese investors would be commencing operation sometime around September this year.

    “It gladdens our hearts because it will totally decongest the problems that we have in Apapa and Tincan which are really at the Central of Lagos.

    “And we have been clamouring that there is need for us to have more ports where goods can come in easily and then export can go out easily without any hindrance in line with the way it is done in different parts of the world.

    “And seeing what I have seen today about your port operations that is about to commence in September, I am truly salivating to see that this starts as quickly as possible,” Emefiele said.

    The CBN governor further said that the bank would ensure it did everything possible to make the environment friendly for companies and businesses to thrive.

    “So, we’re looking into how to make sure that the policy regulations are reviewed; we have our concerns about how free trade zones operate either tax exemptions or duty free exemptions and the rest of them.

    “We would like to work with you to see how we would create a clear demarcation that separates companies that operate as free trade zones or operating in free trade zone from those that will not operate as free trade zone.

    “Whereas you will also find that a company may want to operate as a free trade zone and at the same time operate the other way. So, we need to demarcate how this will work, such that it will not result in loss of revenue,” he said.

    Emefiele also said that the apex bank would partner the state government and the Federal Ministry of Works to see how Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria could ensure cargo evacuation from the port area, describing it as a big issue.

    He said the CBN had raised about N23 billion to fund road infrastructure, to facilitate smooth evacuation of cargo out of the port.

  • How NAFDAC return to ports helped in curbing fake drugs importation

    How NAFDAC return to ports helped in curbing fake drugs importation

    The return of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) personnel to the ports in 2018 has helped in reducing importation of fake and substandard products into the country.

    Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, said this on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Recall that NAFDAC was excluded from security checks at the ports in 2011 and was reinstated on May 16, 2018.

    Adeyeye noted that the presence of NAFDAC officials at the ports had assisted to curb importation of bad products and identified the nefarious importers and cabals behind such transactions.

    According to her, the ports are safer now compared to when NAFDAC officials were absent at the ports.

    The director-general said that NAFDAC’s presence at the ports would continue to ensure that dangerous drugs or substances of abuse – many times falsely shipped as building materials, electrical appliances, computer accessories – are intercepted at the point of entry.

    Adeyeye noted that the agency would continue to work with relevant government agencies to ensure that foods, drugs, chemicals and other NAFDAC regulated products that pose danger to the population are controlled at the point of entry.

    She said that the agency would continue to upscale its laboratories with functional equipment to enable it to test products effectively.

    According to her, the laboratories investigate and pronounce on the quality, safety, efficacy and wholesomeness of regulated products, both imported and locally manufactured.

    Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC had seven laboratories across the country, with various equipment, saying that the least amount of equipment in the lab cost N300 million.

    She noted that the agency had leveraged ICT to drive its operational efficiency, saying its website had been revamped to increase transparency and access to vital information.

    The director-general said that the agency would continue to strive to build a more robust ICT platform.

    Adeyeye added that NAFDAC was committed to strengthening its regulatory framework to enhance its efficiency and improve on service delivery to the public.

    According to her, in the last four years NAFDAC has improved from an indebted agency to a solvent agency, imbibed international best practices and aligned with global regulatory standards to strengthen its oversight functions.

    “You cannot have an agency that’s not accountable financially, that’s not accountable in terms of what happens to a customer and you want to say that’s a strong regulatory system.

    “Because you have already put holes there; holes of corruption, holes of lack of responsiveness to customers.

    “We reduced debt from N3.2 billion to zero, have a budget system that’s directorate focused, started using standard operating procedure which is part of quality management system,” she said.

    Adeyeye stressed that the agency would continue its regulatory controls in all sectors to safeguard the health of the nation.

  • Buhari and Amaechi go on trial for Hadiza Bala Usma’s sins – Godwin Etakibuebu

    Buhari and Amaechi go on trial for Hadiza Bala Usma’s sins – Godwin Etakibuebu

    By Godwin Etakibuebu

    Scene 1- Personae Dramatis

    Muhammadu Buhari is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, duly elected since 2015. He is serving the last years of second tenure. This is a known fact to everyone; both in Nigeria and around the world. I must have better reason of starting this discussion with a well-known and well-established fact therefore.

    Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the Minister of Transport, appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, to supervise over the ministry of transport. And like his boss; the President, Amaechi is having his last years of his second tenure in that ministry. There is an established synergy between the former and the latter. This, again, is an established history that needs not to be re-echoed except for some factual journey of interconnectivity.

    The Nigerian Ports Authority is a Nigerian Institution established by an Act of the Nigerian Parliament, through Cap 155 of the Laws of the Federation of 1954. The Nigerian Ports Authority came into operation on Friday, April 1, 1955. The operations of the NPA might have started on April Fool’s Day, but there is nothing “fooling around” with its actions except few intrigues on matters that defied natural logics, like the issue we are about to discuss.

    Lastly is the personality of Hadiza Bala Usman. This woman of Fulani extraction – from Katsina State and not Kaduna State, as many believed, was appointed as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority; by President Buhari, on Monday, July 11, 2016, for a tenure of 5 years and she remained in office till Thursday, May 6, 2021, when she was suspended [might as well be gone because they hardly come back once they start-off by going on suspension] form office on the approval of the President.

    There is one more thing to be said about this woman before moving to Scene 2, of this Film show of absurdity.
    By January 2021, the President of the Nigerian Republic; Muhammadu Buhari, deemed it fit to reappoint Hadiza Bala Usman for another tenure of 5 years, though her first tenure had not expired – the first tenure was actually coming to expiration by June, 2021. . The President signed the letter reappointing her and same was delivered to the woman – Hadiza. That letter of reappointment remains with the woman as we write this ugly tales by moonlight.

    We have gotten confirmed facts from the grapevine that this process of reappointing her by the President was done without the knowledge, or input, of the Minister of the Transport Ministry – Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. It means the woman got her reappointment letter over and above her Minister. And this gave the Minister; Rotimi Amaechi thorough headache. Who wouldn’t? But wait a moment, who is to blame – the NPA Managing Director or the President?

    Why this the manifestation of this typical oddity, you may want to ask? It is only the abnormality of the Nigerian administrative structure; under the present government that can supply the answer to above question.

    But suffice to conclude that an approving authority, at any given time, is superior to a recommending authority. In interpretation, Amaechi; who should be the recommending authority, is inferior to Buhari; who is the approving authority, in this matter. Back to the beginning; Hadiza Bala Usman was appointed in 2016, without Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s knowledge, input and recommendation. Just for the records. Let us bear this in mind as we go into the narrative proper.

    Scene 2 – Evidences and Signs of Oddities

    On Thursday, May 6, 2021, Garba Shehu; that extra-ordinary Senior Presidential Spokesman, told us about the removal of Hadiza Bala Usman from office – albeit through the route of suspension. Below was the announcement from the Senior Spokesman – again for the records.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation under Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

    The President has also approved that the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman step aside while the investigation is carried out. Mr Mohammed Koko will act in that position. The panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry while the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry will serve as Secretary. Other members of the panel will be appointed by the Minister”.

    The reason for the suspension must have related to an approval the President granted to the minister, for probing a financial misappropriation at the Nigerian Ports Authority, under the supervision of Hadiza Bala Usman. Below is the reality of flow of events.

    In a letter dated 4th March 2021, addressed to President Buhari, Amaechi prayed the Commander-in-Chief to cause an investigation to be carried out to ascertain the financial records of NPA. Titled “Remittance of Operating Surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account by the Nigerian Ports Authority from 2016-Date,” the Minister drew the attention of the President to what he believed counts for a financial misdeed.

    The letter read: “It has been observed from the records submitted by the Budget Office of the Federation that the yearly remittance of operating surpluses by the Nigerian Ports Authority from the year 2016 to 2020 has been far short of the amount due for actual remittance.

    “In view of the above, I wish to suggest that the financial account of the activities of NPA be investigated for the period 2016-2020 to ascertain the true financial position and the outstanding unremitted balance of one hundred and sixty-five billion, three hundred and twenty million, nine hundred and sixty-two thousand, six hundred and Ninety-seven naira only (N165, 320, 962, 697).”

    Two weeks after the Minister’s letter got to the President, the latter gave approval to the former, on Friday, March 17, 2021, with these words: “HMT (Honourable Minister of Transportation), your above prayer is approved.” This was followed by yet another letter, signed by Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Chief of Staff to the President, conveying Buhari’s approval for the investigation of the alleged financial shenanigan.

    The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority was suspended because of her inability in remitting the sum of N165, 320, 962, 697 – accumulatively from 2016 to 2020, to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). Is it?

    The money not remitted is huge enough. That the unremitted amount spanned from 2016 [the year the MD was appointed] till 2020, without being detected by the supervising ministry speaks of a larger conspiracy’s circle. And that the Managing Director is being singled out for sanction is contrary to the laid down regulation – albeit the Presidential letter read out by the Presidential Spokesman; Garba Shehu. Let us read the President’s authority together once again.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recommendation of the Ministry of Transportation under Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

    The President has also approved that the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman step aside while the investigation is carried out. Mr Mohammed Koko will act in that position. The panel is to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services of the Ministry while the Deputy Director, Legal of the same ministry will serve as Secretary. Other members of the panel will be appointed by the Minister”.
    The first thing we should take note of, if we read through the lines diligently, is the fact that the President approved the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

    This raises some questions inevitably: Does the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, to be probed [according to the Presidential announcement], includes other top Management officials of the NPA or is it exclusively limited to the Managing Director alone? Is the Management of the NPA made up of the Managing Director alone? Are other Executive Directors of the NPA; so appointed by the President, members of the Management?
    Was the Executive Director of Finance & Administration; Mohammed Koko, picked to act as Managing Director in place of Hadiza Bala Usman, a member of the Management that ought to be probed or not?

    The Nigerian Ports Authority under the supervision of Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director, came with a Board of Directors; duly appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. Has such Board any role to play in remittance, or otherwise, of accruable monies to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) Account or not?
    Then we should fast-forward the Film-Cast into Monday, May 10, 2021, when the Administrative Panel of Inquiry was inaugurated at the Federal Ministry of Transport, by the Honourable Minister and try to examine succinctly the terms of reference given to the Panel. It might be shocking that out of the 5 terms of reference given to the

    Panel, there was no mention of unremitted N165, 320, 962, 697. Isn’t this a puzzle?
    We shall provide answers to these questions next week Tuesday, by the grace of God, ditto pointing out other oddities, before bringing to the knowledge of the Nigerian Public those facts that made the “sack [or shall I say suspension?] of Hadiza Bala Usman inevitable”. The real reasons why the woman must go would have nothing doing with the said unremitted N165, 320, 962, 697.

    Let me place this on record before drawing the curtain. Is corruption issue and mismanagement of public funds there in the Ministry of Transport, all its parastatals, and inclusive of the NPA? The answer would be yes, because there is hardly any area of the Nigerian sub-economy where corruption has not taken liberalism. So, the NPA could not be standing aloof over others in the business of vigorously prosecution of corruption and its associated benefits.

    This is one. Yet, there must be another point that must be placed on record before next week’s outing; which shall come with nastier part of the revelations from the land of Oddity.

    “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears; I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evils that men do lives after them; so let it be with Caesar . . . O judgement! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me”, were the words of Marc Antony.

    I have come therefore to bury Hadiza Bala Usman and not to praise her. Like what Marc Antony said, in the above quote, corruption; grand corruption, has made men of Authority to lose their reasons and sanity in Nigeria – and yet, my heart is in that casket where victims are twisted with lies, waiting to be buried.

    I said it before and l am repeating it again. I cannot stand tall anywhere to declare that any Nigerian Pubic officer of the present dispensation; including Hadiza Bala Usman, is a Saint, but let the truth be told of why and how the battle of fight for corruption is moving from Purgatory to Hell.

    And next week, we shall know why it is Muhammadu Buhari and Rotime Amaechi, as against Hadiza Bala Usman, that are standing trial in the public court of the Nigerian People.
    Arise!

    This Court adjourns!

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
    Contact:
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    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

  • COVID-19: Operations continue at the ports – NPA

    Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Monday said that operations would continue at the ports in spite of the two-week lockdown of Lagos State to contain spread of COVID-19.

    Mr Adams Jatto, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA, made this known in a press statement in Lagos.

    “Consequent to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that Lagos seaports, (Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports), should remain open in the duration of the two-week lockdown of Lagos State, NPA states as followed.

    “NPA hereby assures all stakeholders that arrangements have been made for operations at the ports to continue without hindrance.

    “Safety procedures, which will guarantee the well being and security of stakeholders and staff have been put in place and all are advised to kindly comply with directives of port officials.

    “All other government agencies responsible for smooth operations at the ports are enjoined to be at their respective duty posts to discharge their functions in line with the presidential directive of maintaining operational functions at the Lagos ports,” he said.

    Jatto pointed out that the management of NPA assured all stakeholders of its commitment to facilitation of trade in Nigeria.

  • FG recovers 693 power equipment containers abandoned at ports for 15 years

    FG recovers 693 power equipment containers abandoned at ports for 15 years

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), on Friday, said that it had recovered more than 693 containers of power equipment abandoned at ports due to tariff.

    The Managing Director (MD) of TCN, Usman Mohammed, said this in a statement in Lagos.

    Mohammed said that some of the power equipment had been auctioned by the Nigeria Customs Service, but said that TCN would had to go after the auctioneers to recover the containers.

    “TCN still has over 200 other containers auctioned by the Customs outside the ports,’’ he said.

    According to him, the recovery was achieved last week, as it revealed that some of the containers had been stranded at various ports for about 15 years.

    Mohammed said: “We were able to recover 693 containers as of last week, out of a total of 800 containers that have been in the ports.

    “Some of these containers have been there for 15 years.

    “Others have been auctioned and we had to trace the auctioneers to get the containers.

    “The government is supporting us. And with the same way they are supporting us, I know that as government has beamed its searchlight on the distribution companies, they are going to solve the problems with power distribution,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said the government was set to solve the problems in the distribution arm of the power sector.

    He disclosed that the government had approved that the TCN anchor the N72 billion the Federal Government planned to invest in the 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria.

    Mohammed said that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola got the approval for the TCN to manage the N72 billion planned investment in the Discos.

  • Codeine abuse: FG orders NAFDAC to return to ports

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered the agency to return to the ports immediately.

    The order came less than three weeks after the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, partly ascribed the drug abuse among youths to the unlawful importation of certain banned substances.

    The agency said in a statement on Thursday that the directive to return to the ports was to effectively control the importation of unregulated products, falsified and substandard drugs, unwholesome foods, narcotic drugs and hazardous chemical substances and foods.

    The statement read in part, “NAFDAC in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and with the active support of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, and the Ministry of Transport, has been returned to the seaports and borders to effectively control importation of unregulated products, falsified and substandard drugs, unwholesome foods, narcotic drugs and hazardous chemical substances and foods.

    “NAFDAC received the notice on May 16, 2018, in a letter dated March 29, 2018, from the office of the Vice-President, as part of the PEBEC reforms.”

    Adeyeye had said recently that thousands of Nigerians had died as a result of falsified and substandard medicines.

    She had further stated that many were ill, most likely due to unwholesome foods, drugs and abuse of narcotics and controlled substances, such as codeine, tramadol and pentazocine.

    “These are partly due to the exclusion of NAFDAC from our ports since 2011. The recent documentary on codeine abuse brought more attention to the issue,” she had said.

    The NAFDAC boss promised to work with the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other sister agencies in ensuring that foods, drugs, chemicals and other NAFDAC regulated products that pose danger to Nigerians were controlled at the point of entry.

    Adeyeye said NAFDAC at the ports would ensure that dangerous drugs or substances of abuse, many times falsely shipped as building materials, electrical appliances and computer accessories would be intercepted at the point of entry.