Business

Stakeholders Seek Enforcement On Sacked Agencies At Ports

Published

14 years ago

November 21, 2011

Stakeholders in the Maritine Industry have urged the federal government to enforce the recent step taken by the Presidential task force on port reforms by sacking eight agencies from the ports as a way of easing the clustered cargo clearing process.

Some of the stakeholders who applauded the move said it was commendable and asked the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Taskforce to back the move with action, because such pronouncements by government officials in the past ended where it was said, “saying it is one thing to make such a pronouncement but another thing to enforce it. The onus is on Okonjo Iweala and the Taskforce to ensure the directive is carried out”.

They posited that the Minister should not be intimidated by the dubious moves of miscreants in the industry who are bent on subverting any effort to sanitise the port.

Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt on Friday, an executive member of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Linus Ezeani, lauded the decision of government to sack the affected agencies, blaming them for creating bottlenecks in the clearing procedure.

He recalled that customs was formally carrying out the functions of most of these agencies through specialised arms and personnel.

Barrister Kemzi Ikezam, a Maritine Lawyer told The Tide that the directive meets the expectation of maritime lawyers and all other Maritime stakeholders, importers and trade facilitators, noting that the law that facilitates port operations states that the Nigerian police, Immigration, Port Health and Nigerian customs should be in the ports and that other agencies should be invited by the Nigerian Customs during examination when necessary.

The Minister according to him, has permitted two other bodies NIMASA and NPA to be there and of course during the promulgation of the Port Act to sanitise the Ports, NPA as the Landlord was seen to have been granted permission to be there at the ports.

He said NIMASA’s operation is welcomed because the agency collects a certain percentage of FOB of the goods discharged at the ports, as he also applauded the banning of Federal Operation Units (FOU) from the port highways. The FOU, he said, has constituted a very big nuisance in the trade facilitation chain in the port industry and to get them out of the roads of the borders is more than a welcome development.

The agencies authorised to operate in the ports from now include, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authoriy (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service, Immigrations, Police and Port Health.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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