Business

Customs Moves To Recover Missing Containers In Apapa Ports

Published

10 years ago

September 14, 2016

The Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) may be chasing shadows in its bid to recover the ten 40ft containers of tyres out of the 26 containers said to have been falsely declared as paper board and machines which allegedly disappeared from Apapa premier ports recently.
Our findings reveal that, a team of investigators headed by an Assistant Comptroller of Customs from the service investigation unit, Abuja had already been deployed to Lagos to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the 10 containers and those involved in the shady deals.
But, surprisingly the team is meeting a brick wall as regards adequate information to carry out their assignment.
According to our source, the circumstances in which the containers left Apapa port is becoming mysterious as the so called fast track beneficiary of the bad job, Messrs. DLE Hopes in Ikeja, Lagos is found to be fake and not traceable.
The team also discovered that the containers left the Apapa port without the knowledge of the Post Clearance Audit (PCA) and bond seat of the command which was supposed to provide escort and examination officers for the consignment at the owners warehouse. The team also discovered that there were no escorts for the containers as provided by Customs procedures for fast track consignments.
Our source confided that the usual process for Fast Track goods is that when a beneficiary of such imports bringing its goods, it already indicates in the Customs system that it’s a Fast Track Consignment. So the importer on arrival of such goods needs to process its papers at the Customs Processing Centre (CPC). Afterwards, he will notify the PCA of his readiness to move such goods to his warehouse. There and then PCA will provide Examination Officers to follow the goods, while FOU will provide the escorts for such goods. Such goods are examined at the owner’s warehouse.
But, in this case, as explained by our source, immediately the agent finished processing it papers at the CPC of the command, he never notify the PCA of his intention to move the consignment. Thus, 10 containers escaped through the Apapa port gate without their knowledge.
Worst still, there was no escort as according to our source, our findings also reveal that after the mysterious disappearance Customs has stopped assigning escorts for Fast Track Consignments even though it is provided in their procedure for such goods.
As it stands now, the investigating team is at lost on how to locate the missing containers with no traceable address of the importer.
The burning questions are. How did this importer qualify as a Fast Track Beneficiary. How did the container leave Apapa port-gate, without escort?. How did the importer process his documents and escape with 10 containers to no fixed address, leaving 16 behind without the knowledge of some persons?
It would be recalled that three week ago, the Apapa customs command had seized 10 by 40ft containers of new car tyres falsely declared as paper board and machines.
It was discovered that ten of the containers had already left the port before the deal was exposed.
During a press briefing by the CG of customs, Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd) along side DCG Dan Ugo and Iya Abubarka to showcase the seizure, Ali promised to prosecute all those involved in the deal, threatening as usual that the penalty for such offence is 5 years imprisonment. He also ordered that all containers henceforth will go through 100 percent examination as the service can no longer trust importers of fast track goods due to cases like this.
Meanwhile when our correspondent contacted the Command Public Relation Officer, Mr.Emma Ekpa (CSC), to confirm the status of the 10 by 40ft missing containers of tyres, he simply put, “The matter is still under investigation, I will comment at the appropriate time”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.