NIMASA
By Aisha Cole
Lagos, June 9, 2024 (NAN) The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, has described the death of Mr Ferdinand Agu, a former Director-General of the defunct National Maritime Authority (NMA) as a rude shock.
Mobereola made this known in a statement through the Assistant Director, Public Relations of NIMASA, Mr Edward Osagie, on Sunday in Lagos.
The NIMASA boss stated that it was a significant loss to Nigeria, the maritime community and NIMASA in particular.
“I am deeply saddened to hear the passing of Arc. Ferdinand Agu, a former Director-General of NMA.
“He left an indelible impression on me within the short time we shared during my first stakeholders’ engagement just last month.
“I had hoped to engage him more often to tap into his wealth of experience for the collective interest of every Nigerian. Agu’s, death has denied us this privilege.
“Agu’s legacy of dedication and excellence will continue to inspire us all. We will miss his wisdom, kindness and unwavering dedication to improving our maritime industry,” Mobereola said.
He prayed for his family and said that his thoughts would be with them during this difficult time.
Mobereola prayed for Agu’s soul to rest in peace. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
AIC/CHOM/AJA
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Adeleye Ajayi
The Customs controller, Seme Border Command, Comptroller, Timi Bomodi,
Trade
By Aisha Cole and Raji Razak
Seme, June 9, 2024 (NAN) The Customs command in Seme border said it recorded about 100 per cent increase in the volume of trade in the first five months of 2024.
The Seme Border Customs Comptroller, Timi Bomodi disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Seme on Sunday.
Bomodi said that the significant increase was due to improved trade facilitation in export and import of goods in the area.
He said that the customs command Seme border also recorded considerable increase of 272 per cent from import recorded in the last five month of 2024 when compared with 2023.
Bomodi said that on trade facilitation, the service recognised that Lagos-Abidjan corridor was strategically located and considered as the most viable trade corridor in the entire Africa.
According to him, Lagos-Abidjan corridor is viable to the nation’s economy while the European Union is ready to release money to develop infrastructure around the axis.
He called for telecommunication infrastructure and rail lines to boost legitimate trade along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
“We know that goods from Nigeria end up in other West Africa markets, we also know that goods that are originating from other West African countries come into the Nigeria market.
“So, there is that symbiotic relationship. Trade facilitation is important to us because without proper facilitation, there will be unnecessary encumbrances,” he said.
“We are mindful of the role that we play on trade facilitation at border areas, we want to be sure that our processes and procedures are well outlined, simplified, automated and easily accessible by the trading public.
“We have had a tremendous growth on export, we had over 100 per cent even in the area of import, we had significant growth too.
“We measure the volume and value of goods that move across the corridor, we noted significant increase in revenue generation,”Bomodi said.
He said that Seme command had been attracting more users due to customs enhancement on trade facilitation as well as collaboration with their counterparts in Benin Republic on harmonising customs procedures.
Bomodi said the purpose of harmonising customs procedures was to ensure that border areas were designed for a one stop shop for examination and release of cargos regardless of the destination.
He advised intending exporters and importers to be guided on export and import procedures, customs requirements and follow due process to avoid goods being forfeited (NAN).
Vessel
By Aisha Cole
Lagos, June 5, 2024 (NAN) The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on Wednesday, said 16 ships were waiting to berth at the Lagos ports.
NPA, in its “Daily Shipping Position’, said three of the expected vessels would berth with containers of different goods.
“Two of the vessels will berth with cargos, three will berth with fresh fish, another two will berth bulk wheat, while the remaining six vessels will berth bulk gypsum, petrol, diesel and pellet.
“The 16 vessels will berth at Apapa Bulk Terminal (ABT), and ENL Consortium, Eko 1, Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd., terminals in Lagos.
“Another five vessels are waiting to berth at Lekki Deep Sea Port with bulk clinker, diesel, crude and containers,” it said. (NAN)
The Controller, Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Mr Paul Bamisaiye, handing over the seized cannabis sativa to the Assistant Commander Narcotics, NDLEA, Mr Bashir Magaji in Lagos on Tuesday .
Interception
By Aisha Cole
Lagos, June 4, 2024 (NAN) Mr Paul Bamisaiye, the Controller of Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says the command has intercepted 17 sacks of hemp valued at N96 million.
Bamisaiye made the disclosure while handing over the seized bags of hemp to NDLEA for further investigation on Tuesday in Lagos.
He said that the seized bags contained 1, 257 loaves of hemp.
Bamisaiye said that at about 11:00 p.m. on May 15, a patrol team of officers and men of the command at the Bar Beach Station, received credible intelligence on movement of a boat on the high sea along the beach location, carrying items suspected to be offending items.
He said, “Upon receiving the information, the team moved toward the described location and intercepted one fibre boat fitted with 200HP Yamaha engine, carrying sacks of the suspected items.
“Also on Sunday, May 19, a joint team of officers and men of the command, along Panko Creek, Badagry Waterways, intercepted one wooden boat fitted with a 25HP Yamaha engine carrying suspected contraband items.”
He said upon sighting customs patrol boats, the suspects abandoned their boat and dived into the water.
“A careful examination of the items being conveyed revealed 505 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice having a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N59.1 million.
“The actions of these smugglers is a direct contravention of NCS Act 2023 which Western Marine Command (WMC) is responsible for enforcing.”
Bamisaiye appealed to the general and trading public not to engage in illicit drugs business.
Bamisaiye urged the men of the command to redouble their efforts and arrest suspects along with their contraband to deter other smugglers.
While receiving the intercepted hemp from customs, the Assistant Commander Narcotics, NDLEA, Mr Bashir Magaji, commended the NCS for intensifying efforts to suppress smuggling.
Magaji assured that investigation would continue from where customs stopped. (NAN)
AIC/AWA
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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa
The Controller, Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Mr Paul Bamisaiye, displaying the intercepted boats with engine to media in Lagos on Tuesday.
A group picture of some of the NAWOJ members who participated in the Ipas two-day sensitisation workshop on sexual and reproductive health rights organised for women journalists in Lagos on Sunday.
Abortion
By Aisha Cole
Lagos, June 4, 2024 (NAN) IPAs, an international group advocating safe abortion, has urged the Federal Government to equip and retrain health personnel on managing unwanted pregnancies to reduce maternal mortality in the country.
A Consultant to IPAs, Dr Akintunde Fehintola, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of sensitisation workshop on sexual and reproductive health rights organised for women journalists in Lagos.
Fehintola said that the re-training of health personnel would enhance safe termination of pregnancy for those who were within the legal indication, to avoid death as a result of unsafe abortion.
Fehintola urged the media to report on the burden and impact of unsafe abortions to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria.
“Nigeria ranked second on the death of women during pregnancy according to a 2024 World Health Organisation Data on maternal mortality.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to gain ground when it comes to unsafe abortion in Nigeria and that is what informed the new development of the strategy guideline for safe termination of pregnancy.
” A young girl who is raped and being pregnant, will not able to go back to school due to the unwanted pregnancy.
“If a woman is depressed due to unwanted pregnancy, the likelihood that such woman can kill herself is very high, such women need counseling.
“Also, we have women whose medical conditions can not allow them to carry pregnancy due to sickness; such a woman needs counseling instead of engaging in unsafe abortion with unsafe method,” said Fehintola, a Gynecologist with Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital.
Mr Lucky Palmer, Country Director, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation (Ipas), urged government to respect the international statutes it signed to curb deaths from unsafe abortion.
Palmer said that many women who had been rape victims as well as women who could not carry the pregnancy due to health conditions could be prevented from trauma which might result in committing suicide.
“Women who were raped would not want to carry unwanted pregnancy. That will depress them emotionally, drain and make them become suicidal in the future.
“That is why we are saying that we should implore our governments to respect the international statutes that they had signed.
“To also respect the policy they had signed in Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act (2015) which addresses all forms of violence and ensures the protection of individual rights.
“This marks a significant step toward combating violence and providing legal remedies and justice for victims.
“THE VAPP Act eliminates violence such as psychological, sexual, emotional, physical and economic. The VAPP also provides effective remedies and ensures justice for victims.
“Anybody who has been or is constantly abused in a relationship and family members are aware, the law expects the family to report,” he said.
A Development Journalist and Gender Equality Advocate, Ms Ene Oshaba, appealed to journalists to engage in detailed reporting about sexual and reproductive health rights of women.
“We should be careful about judging people who have misconceptions about the sexual and reproductive health rights of women.
“It is not only men who stigmatise women. Women also stigmatise themselves due to level of information that they have,”Oshaba said.
She asked the media not to relent in their efforts to sensitise community leaders on preventing maternal mortality through unsafe abortion.
Ashaba urged NAWOJ to raise awareness as well as educate the public about the provisions and protections offered by the VAPP act. (NAN)www.nannnews.ng
Lagos, June 1, 2024 (NAN) The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) says it has created a technical cargo and customs facilitation group to undertake multi-modal transport system for its members.
In a statement on Saturday in Lagos, NAGAFF Founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, said that creation of the group followed complaints by its members and shippers in Kano and Kaduna states, as well as Abuja.
“They specifically complained about the inherent problems associated with taking delivery of cargo from the mother ports of the South West and South East to the northern part of the country,” he said.
Aniebonam said that the members and shippers cited insecurity, bad roads and high cost of doing business.
He said that the group would come on stream in northern Nigeria to ensure customs trade facilitation.
According to Aniebonam, NAGAFF decided to set up the group to engage agents in ensuring smooth facilitation of cargo logistics for its members and shippers.
Aniebonam said that the primary responsibility of the group would be to interface with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and other relevant agencies of the government in that regard.
He said that the group would be expected to link up with trade groups involved in import and export trades in northern Nigeria and avail them the opportunities provided at inland container terminals within the northern metropolis.
“The good news is the emergence of DALA Inland Dry Port, the most modern inland container terminal springing up in Kano State.
“The group is doing everything possible to make importers and exporters within the northern metropolis to become competitive in their businesses.
“This means that every importer and exporter of the northern extraction may not bother to come to Lagos or any of the mother ports in the south to take delivery or export their cargos.
“Aside from reduction of cost, the safety of cargo and efficient time of doing business are guaranteed,” he said.
Aniebonam listed some of the technical group members as Chief Patrick Ogbo, Chairman; Dr Arthor Igwilo, Technical Head; and Alhaji Muftau, Northern Zonal Chairman.
He praised the managements of the NRC, NPA and NCS for ensuring that the Kano inland container terminal received the first batch of containers through rail transport on May 31.
He urged port operators to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration in actualising its Renewed Hope Agenda. (NAN).
