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Motorists Task FG On Benin-Auchi-Okene Road

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Motorists plying the Benin-Auchi-Okene Highway have urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the busy highway.
Some of the motorists told  newsmen on Saturday that the call became necessary owing to the situation of the road.
The motorists, who decried the loss of man-hour and human lives on the road  linking the Southern and Northern parts of the country, said the highway had totally collapsed due to years of neglect.
Our source observed that motorists have completely abandoned the road and have resorted to taking longer alternative routes to connect from Edo Central to the Northern part of the country.
The motorists stressed that if nothing was done to urgently address the situation, the alternative routes which are also not in good condition may soon become unmotorable.
A motorist, Maxwel Idigie, who expressed concern, said drivers had no option other than to bear untold hardship to get to their destinations via the highway.
“We have never a time  experienced a situation like this on the route.
“We complained when it was not even as bad as it is now, but as we speak, nobody uses that route again.
“For some time now, we have been taking longer routes to cut off those roads that have totally collapsed.
“Those going to Ekpoma, Auchi or North of the county go through Agbor Road to connect to Ugoneki and Ujogba and then to the road at Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo,” he said.
According to him, same goes for motorists going to Sabongidda Ora, Afuze and Akoko-Edo that now links the communities through Ifon in Ondo State.
“It will interest you to know also that those going to Abuja also connect Okene through Igarra and Ososo in Akoko-Edo.
“This long and toutorous journey has not only greatly affected our income but also other associated inconveniences,” he said.
Also, Abel Osageduwa, a motorist, said the alternative routes were wearing off owing to its use by articulated vehicles that were not designed for the road.
Osageduwa, therefore, appealed to government to declare a state of emergency on the Benin-Auchi-Okene highway.
He said that the declaration would pave way for a solution to the problem.
“Last Friday, we spent over three hours on a particular spot near Ujogba because articulated vehicles that have rendered the road bad, got stuck on the bad spot on that alternative route.
“Friday was another trying time for us on that route; this would not have been if the major road was in order.
“The Ujogba road which was constructed by Oshiomhole’s government was not meant for heavy duty vehicles,” he said.
Another motorist, Andrew Momodu, appealed to the government to fix the highway, saying that the situation was compelling motorists to increase transport fare.
“We do not spend more now only on fuel, but also on the maintenance of our vehicles and it is a pity that commuters are the ones bearing the burden,” he said.
A commuter who simply identified herself as Nana, said that the cost of transportation to Auchi was hiked to N1500 from N1000 on Friday owing to traffic congestion that was experienced on the alternative route.
Our correspondent reports that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo and members of the state legislature had recently under taken  separate assessment tours of the Benin-Auchi-Okene highway.
They all condemned the state of the road and called on the Federal Government to urgently fix it.
It would be recalled also that Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, had said that remedial work on the highway would begin as soon as the rains subsided.

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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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