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Tricycle, Motorcycle Riders Beg Obiano To Review Ban

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10 years ago

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Commercial tricycle and
motorcycle riders in Onitsha, have appealed to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to rescind the ban on their activities in key routes in the commercial city.
In the alternative, they appealed to him to shift the implementation of the order to a much later time.
The riders, who are popularly known as ‘Keke’ and ‘Okada’ respectively, made their demands during a peaceful demonstration in collaboration with a coalition of civil society organisations.
The protesters held placards some of which read: “We love you, our dear governor, please extend the ban to after six months’’; “Gov. Obiano, give us empowerment as most of us are graduates’’; “We don’t have any means of livelihood, give us alternatives’’ and “We need jobs, please don’t ban us,’’ among others.
Addressing journalists, the leader of civil society organisations in Anambra, Mr Uzor Uzor, said that the demonstration was to appeal to the government to extend the period of the grace for the ban to six months.
He said that the extension would enable the riders to find alternative means of livelihood.
“Most of these people are married and have dependants who are feeding from them; that is why we are appealing to Gov. Obiano to review the regulation,’’ Uzor said.
The Co-ordinator of tricycle operators in Onitsha, Mr Odirachukwumma Nwigwe, appealed to the governor to provide buses or cabs to make it easier for them to switch over to other means of livelihoods to cater for their families.
“More than 80 per cent of keke and okada riders are indigenes of Anambra and we are more than 30,000.
“We are willing to abandon the business if the government can pay us at least N30,000 monthly; so we appeal to the governor to review the regulation or provide us with alternatives,’’ he appealed.
The Co-ordinator of the okada riders in Onitsha, Mr Godson Nwiwu, in his comment, said that the ban had adversely affected the lifestyle of their families.
“The worst of it all is that there is no alternative routes for us to ply since the ban in Onitsha, that is why we are appealing to the governor to provide alternative,’’ Nwiwu said.
The Tide source reports that the protesters marched from Zik Avenue to Upper Iweka, through Port Harcourt, Owerri and Oguta Roads, and from Awka Road to Old Market Road.
Obiano on May 25 announced the ban on commercial tricycles and motorcycles on major highways in the state.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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