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APBN Inaugurates Rivers Chapter Exco

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Twenty-four years after its
formation and presence in some states of Nigeria, the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), has formally inaugurated its pioneer elected executive body for the Rivers State chapter.
APBN’s National President, Foluso Fasoto, led a team of the national executive to inaugurate an eight-member Rivers State chapter executive Friday in Port Harcourt.
Fasoto noted that it was a thing of joy that Rivers State has become the 11th state in Nigeria to have the presence of the body and its exco officially inaugurated.
He stated that APBN is the umbrella body of government-recognised professional association in Nigeria set up to speak with one voice on behalf of its member-bodies while at the same time give professional advice to government on matters affecting the professionals and their practices.
According to him, the complexities of today’s human activities have made it imperative for various professional bodies to speak with one voice in making inputs to government.
“When we come together in this way, we can collate our views and be in a position to present to the government a well-articulated opinion on economic, social and national issues and propose policies and strategies to enable government attain its full potentials and greatness”, he said.
The National President charged members of the Rivers State branch to be elements of change as to change things positively in the state.
He further urged the eight-member executive to promote the highest ethical standards and professionalism in the state while under-scoring the importance of integrity in their operations.
“I expect the new chapter inaugurated today to co-ordinate and showcase their specialities as professionals to the state and also at the local authority level”, he said stressing that APBN embarked on state chapter formations to increase its visibility and impact the socio-economic development process in Nigeria.
Dr Ezekiel Williams emerged chairman of the Rivers State chapter while Dr Boniface Woko and Mr. Augustine Ihaza are first and second vice chairman, respectively.
Others were Joe Thomas Secretary General, Engr Emmanuel Idoniboye Financial Secretary, Barr Erasmus Dike organizing secretary, Dr. Alasia Public Relations Officer while Ms Onene Osila Obele-Oshoko is Ex-officio member.
In his acceptance speech the chaiman of Rivers State exco, Dr. Ezekiel Williams commended the body for the confidence reposed in them and promised to paddle the affairs of the chapter for two years.
To benchmark performance while in office, Williams promised, amongst other things, to ensure establishment of APBN office in the state, to contribute to the holistic development and sustenance of policies, procedures and implementation of governance in Rivers State, removal of quackery, create enabling environments for professional congresses.

 

Chris Oluoh/Silverline Nkenyika

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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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