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BASA To Top Jonathan’s Agenda In Israel – Official

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The signing of a Bilateral
Air Service Agreement (BASA) with the State of Israel will top President Goodluck Jonathan’s agenda during his visit to Israel for the 2013 pilgrimage.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Mr. John-Kennedy Opara, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a news conference on the commission’s preparedness and the President’s participation in the pilgrimage.
He said that Jonathan, accompanied by some state governors and other top government officials, would leave Nigeria for Israel on October 23 for the pilgrimage.
Opara said that though the trip would be a spiritual exercise, the President would use the opportunity to finalise discussions and sign the much anticipated BASA with Israel.
According to him, signing of an air service agreement between Nigeria and Israel will among other benefits, reduce significantly the cost of pilgrimage to Israel.
“The issue of BASA will definitely come up when the President visits the State of Israel later in the month.
“You will recall that we have been on this matter for quite some time now and this time around, God willing, the agreement is likely to be signed,” he said.
He said that Jonathan’s participation would raise the stakes in both participation and administration of pilgrimage being the first sitting Nigerian Christian President to embark on a holy pilgrimage to Israel.
On the commission’s preparedness, Opara said that logistics and other relevant arrangements were in place ahead of the transportation of pilgrims, which would begin on October 19 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He said that a team of officials from the commission and other relevant agencies had inspected the aircraft to be used for the exercise.
Opara said that the commission had the assurances of both the Egyptian and Israeli security authorities on the safety of Nigerians during the exercise.
He allayed fears in some quarters that the heightened tension in the Middle East would jeopardise the safety of pilgrims and undermine the efforts of the commission.
He said the commission would not hesitate to stop the movement of Nigerians to the Sinai and other areas susceptible to attacks in the event of a breakdown of law and order in such areas.
“The coast is clear, we have met with both the Israeli and Egyptian security authorities and they have given us the assurance that the areas to be visited are safe.
“But because safety is our priority, we will not hesitate to stop the movement of our pilgrims to areas that are prone to attacks, if the need arises,” he said.
Reports say that the first batch of 2,000 pilgrims will be transported to the holy land between October 19 and 26 and the subsequent batches will follow thereafter.

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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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