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Oil Mill Market: Traders, Motorists Differ On Choatic Traffic

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The once popular oil mill market on the outskirts of Port Harcourt  has over the years turned out to be every drivers’ nightmare, especially on Wednesdays.
Road users, especially motorists dread driving through the Port Harcourt-Aba Express Road, but it has become inevitable because for one to travel to Aba and vice versa, one has to pass through that axis.
Under the circumstance, our correspondent sought the opinion of the public on how to tackle the menace posed by the traders.
“As for me, they should stop the traders from displaying their articles near the road” was the submission of Mr Linus Ebele, a commercial bus driver who plies the Port Harcourt-Aba route on daily basis.
He opined that there is enough space in the market and wondered the traders choose to come all the way out to the busy highway
According to him, if he had his way, the trader should either be inside the market or be reloated away from the traffic area.
A  public servant, and resident of Afam in the Oyigbo local government area of the State, Mr Sunny Onyebuchi who spoke to The Tide said he was always apprehensive on every Wednesday due to the hectic traffic situation at the market.
Onyebuchi who works at the State Secretariat said for him not to be late for work on Wednesdays, he wakes up “as early as 4am and before 5:30 am I am off.”
He said even at that, there were some Wednesdays that he still meets with heavy traffic.
Also speaking to our correspondent, one of the traders who sells sandals and slippers among other items said it was inevitable.
He said what was going on at oil mill market was not peculiar to Port Harcourt alone even as he said the city was witnessing an increased influx of traders and other business people.
While comparing the scenario at oil mill market with that at Oshodi in Lagos and Aba in Abia State, he said in some markets in Nigeria such markets operate on daily basis.
“There is no need from people to complain because the market operates once in a week, unlike those at other cities in the country,” he said.
He said the lustling and bustling at the oil will market on Wednesdays was part of economic development and urged motorists, traders and every road user to exercise patience on market days.
However, one trader who spoke to our correspondent opined that it was not only traders who benefit on every market day.
He said most drivers make good returns on market days due to increase in passenger availability, even as he said road traffic wardens also have a field day.
According to him, the market has come to stay because a lot of people, including the traders, make quick sales as goods are sold at subsidized rates to customers.
A traffic warden who spoke on the issue and asked not to be named told our correspondent that they always have a hectic time on market days as they have to contend with a lot of challenges.
He said touts come to the market all the way from Aba to join their Port Harcourt Counter-parts thereby increasing criminality on market days.
According to him, combining traffic control with checkmating criminal activities has been a major challenge for them, adding that there was need for increased security personnel on market days.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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