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Bayelsa Community Protests Alleged Neglect, Disrupts NAOC Activities

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8 years ago

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The people of Egebekiri Community in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa yesterday protested alleged neglect by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
The Tide Source reports that the community members yesterday protested at Agip’s Obama Flow Station, disrupting production in oil wells 5, 7, 9 and 12.
An Egebekiri Community leader, Chief Karibi MacDonald, said during the protest that Agip had yet to pay the community any form of royalty since it started oil exploration in the community over 40 years ago.
MacDonald said that the community was tired of writing fruitless letters to the company.
He said that a Supreme Court judgment of July 13, 2007, confirmed the community as the legal owner of the land hosting the oilfield.
He alleged that NAOC continued to give the community’s rights and benefits to some persons in neighbouring communities.
“It is almost 10 years now since that Supreme Court ruling, but NAOC is yet to honour the ruling.
“They are yet to recognise and deal with us as landlords of the environment where the company has continued to extract crude oil from four  wells,” MacDonald said.
Chief Egbe John, also among the protesters, said: “Today, we are saying we are tired after writing over 30 letters to various departments and the Bayelsa State governor and  his special advisers on oil and gas and security.
“We have also written to the headquarters and sector command of the Joint Task Force, and the  Commander, Central Naval Command.”
Similarly, Mrs Ofabara Egebe, also a member of the  community, said that Egebekiri could no longer endure the alleged neglect as it had nothing to show for being an oil-producing community.
“The only compensation made by Agip was for its destruction of economic trees; we still have receipt of that payment.
“Nothing more has been given to our community by way of contracts or royalties as landlords hosting four oil wells operated by Agip.
“We are tired of the suffering and injustice by Agip; that is why we decided to protest today,” Egebe said.
When contacted on the disruption of oil production, Maj. Abubakar Abdullahi, Spokesman for the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, said that the military had since restored normalcy to the area.
“Our mandate is clear, and that is to protect oil and gas infrastructure.
“If any community has issues against any company, let them resolve it legally. JTF will not tolerate any threat to its mandate.
“We handled it professionally within our rules of engagement,’’he said.
Mr Fillippo Cotalini, Media Relations Manager of Eni, the parent company of NAOC,  declined comments on the development.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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6 days ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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