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Maritime

CP Hails Reduction Of Crime At Lagos Port

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The Commissioner of Po
lice, Ports Operations, Apapa, Lagos, Mr Kayode Aderanti, said there was significant reduction in the activities of criminals called port rats at the various terminals.
Aderanti told our correspondent  in Lagos that port police had taken various proactive measures to curb the problem.
“The issue of port rats seems to have gone down drastically. We have been taking lot of proactive steps to nip the problem in the bud.
“If the rats are no longer there definitely the port will be free from all these cankerworms. We believe that they are irritants and we have done things to sanitise the port,’’ he said. The commissioner said that only persons that had genuine business at the port would be allowed in the vicinity.
“You should know that the port is not a ‘Jankara market’, it is meant for people that transact special businesses.
“The fact that you are a clearing agent does not give you the freedom to go in and out of the port.
“If you are a clearing agent you must have genuine business transaction to conduct in the port before you are allowed into the port,’’ Aderanti said. He warned that the period when people just hang around the Customs area under the excuse that they are customs agents or freight forwarders was over.
Aderanti said the command was doing everything possible to ensure that only genuine people transacted business at the port and in a secured environment.
“In the past three or four weeks, I have been able to meet with chief security officers, clearing bodies, labour unions and customs within the ports.
“I have been able to sensitise them on the ways I want to approach these issues in a proactive manner.
“There is need for us to work together to create a multi-efficient programme to tackle insecurity.
“ I want to ensure we tackle the problem of those who cause damage in the port. Soon I will also hold a meeting with terminal operators, managing directors and shipping lines,’’ he said.
Aderanti said the police would act promptly anytime it received report of diversion of cargoes at the port.
No fewer than 700 seafarers were trained Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the seafarers Training and Certification Workshops (STCW) to enable them update their mandatory certificates, NIMASA Labour Inspectors.
The Director General of NIMASA, Mr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi dropped this hint during a special session with shipowners, seafarer.
Employers, manning Agents and seafarers on Maritime Labour convention 2006, at Hotel Presidential Port Harcourt last Friday.
Represented by Barr. Callistus Obi, Akpobolokemi said the Agency is very passionate about ensuring that Nigerian seafarers got placement on both Nigeria and foreign flagged vessels.
He disclosed that the Agency under his administration had also committed huge resources towards the training of cadets through various programmes like the Nigeria Seafarers Development Programme.
According to him, the special session was to enable shipowners, employers of seafarers, manning agents and seafarers know their rights and obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention MLC 2006, which had been ratified in Nigeria, and commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his unflinching support towards the training and welfare of seafarers.
In his remarks, the co-ordinator of NIMASA, Eastern Zone, Mr Anthony Ogadi recalled the origin of MLC 2006 which started at the General Conference of the International Labour Organisation, and that Nigeria had shown strong resolve toward actualizing the provisions of the convention.
Ogadi said as the country’s apex regulatory agency, their responsibility has beento ensure that commitment of the Federax Government towards implementing the provisions of the convention is upheld, pointing out that the Agency has put necessary machineries for the domestication of the convention.
He hinted that NIMASA is ready to synergise with relevant stakeholders in ensuring effective implementation of the provisions of the convention, adding, “As we look forward to the entry into force of the convention on 18th June, 2014, it is expected that all stakeholders will all reposition their offices and operational platform to embrace the new system and to comply with the provision of the convention”.
The zonal co-ordinator further noted that, “I have no doubt in my mind that we are better informed on our rights and obligations as shipowners and seafarers respectively”.
The special session had an interactive section where stakeholders asked question boarding on activities within Rivers marine sector

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Maritime

Fall Off Container Crushes Woman To Death

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Tragedy struck on Friday, when a fully loaded 40ft container fell from a Mack truck and crushed a woman to death along Lagos, Ibadan Expressway.
The Tide gathered  that the Mack truck was on high speed when the incident occurred around NNPC inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
A statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightment Department of Lagos State traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, said a fully loaded 40ft Mack articulated truck fell on a Nissan car with registration number ABJ 692BG and instantly killed a woman at the rear of the car, while the car driver survived unhurt with the support of LASTMA officials.
Taofiq confirmed that the driver of the Mack articulated truck with his motor-boy ran away immediately the fatal accident occurred.
He said, according to preliminary investigation, the truck while on a high speed lost control as a result of a brake failure and rammed into a moving Nissan car on motion by N.N.P.C inward Alapere, Ogudu, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos.
The rescue agencies at the scene of the crash were the LASEMA, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Police.
Also at the accident scene were the LASTMA General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, LASTMA Director of Traffic Incidents, Event Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance, Mr. Hakeem Adeosun, and the LASTMA rescue team.
General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare Oki, however, warned motoring public, particularly truck drivers, to stop over speeding and ensure their vehicles are properly checked, including the braking system, before embarking on any journey within or outside the State.
The incident attracted passers-by, who thronged the scene lamenting the unfortunate incident, accusing men of the ports task force of negligence.

 

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

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Maritime

PTML Customs Posts N66.92bn Revenue In First Quarter 2024

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The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has presented an impressive revenue record collection for the first quarter of 2024.
According to the Command, it collected the sum of N66,920,181,586.30 as total revenue for the quarter of 2024, which is N22,198,965,809.55 higher than N44,721,215,776.75 collected between January and March 2023, representing 49.6 percent increase.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command , Compt. Saidu Abba Yusuf, who described the increase in revenue collection as a laudable feat , said the Command is more committed towards trade facilitation and support government drive for ease of doing business.
Comptroller Yusuf, who thanked the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for initiating strategies to achieve faster cargo clearance, reiterared that PTML Command under his watch aims to surpass its record of three hour cargo clearance for compliant traders.
According to Yusuf, the launching of time release study (TRS), which is ongoing, and other deliberate efforts by the Comptroller General have contributed in the expansion of terminal space and promoting ease of doing business in PTML.
He also disclosed that the PTML Command has potentials to achieve two hour cargo clearance and surpass its existing three hours record, if port users compliance level is improved upon.
Comptroller Yusuf, who described PTML as one of the safest and most secure environment for RoRo (Roll On Roll Off) and general cargoes, also advised importets and their agents to take advantage of the incentives available for compliant traders such as fast track, advance ruling and possible migration to the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.
He reminded port users in PTML of the robust and time conscious dispute resolution mechanism, which has contributed immensely to the revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti smuggling functions of the Command.
While commending the various government and private sector stakeholders for their cooperation and support towards realisation of government goal of revenue collection and prevention of unlawful activities, Comptroller Yusuf expressed optimism that the Command will surpass its annual target for the year.

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Maritime

Customs Comptroller Lauds Scanning Officers Over Efficiency

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The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Babajide Jaiyeoba, has commended the officers of the Non Intrusive Inspection Technology Unit (NIITU) for their invaluable contributions to the overall success of the Command.
Comptroller Jaiyeoba, who was on an unscheduled visit to the scanner site, reminded the officers of the importance of team work as a strong basis to sustain the gains of compliance and revenue collection recently recorded by the Command.
According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Apapa Command, CSC Abubakar Usman, Comptroller Jaiyeoba thanked Deputy Comptroller, Salamatu Atuluku, the Officer in Charge of scanning site, and encouraged the unit not to be deterred by complaints coming from persons who were made to pay accurate duties to government after issuance of demand notices.
The Customs boss stated that no business person who is made to part with money will be happy with officers that refused compromising the ethics of their job.
He noted that “The main reason for me coming here is to appreciate you. I may not see you, but I have seen your work and I won’t keep quiet about what I have seen about your work. You are doing very well. I just want to encourage you to work as a team. If you don’t work as a team, you give room for outsiders to come in and when they come in, they divide you, and when they divide you, achieving success will be very difficult.
“Do your work without blemish. Once you keep your arm straight, you can stand before anybody. Your work as a Customs Officer is to ensure that you do the correct thing.
“For those of you doing intervention in the form of Demand Notice (DN), there is no body who part with money that will be happy with you. They will want to play intelligent by hiding somewhere. When you fetch them from their hiding place, they become your enemy.
Whatever they write about anybody here will still come down to me and if anybody works well, the onus on me is to defend such a person .
“Just have it at the back of your mind that you owe yourself the duty of doing your work diligently whether anyone comes around as a friend or enemy. It is not enough for you to rest. The reward for hard work is more work. These demands require sacrifice so that you can maintain the status”.

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