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Engineer Seeks Wrecks Law Review

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14 years ago

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A marine engineer, Mr Olu Akinsoji,  last  Wednesday urged the Federal Government to facilitate the review of wrecks law as contained in the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007.

Akinsoji, a former Government Inspector of Ships (GIS), made the plea in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

He said that the review became imperative in line with the new structure of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) charged with safety matters in Nigerian waters.

According to him, for orderliness and sanity, a ship owner should not be encouraged to abandon a ship after its useful life in such a way that it becomes a wreck.

He said that government should go back to the interim report submitted in 2010 by a Ministerial Technical Committee on Wrecks and consult the professionals.

Akinsoji said that the committee’s recommendations were not followed in terms of removal of wrecks.

He said the committee headed by him had recommended detailed identification of wrecks.

Akinsoji said that wrecks were being removed without detailed identification of those below the water level and those above and not marked for easy visibility.

The marine engineer said that the committee’s recommendations had made provisions for salvage and suggested a safe haven for distressed ships.

Akinsoji said the committee also recommended that there should be identification of appropriate places for piling up wrecks.

“There was also a suggestion on the implementation of a plan for wrecks prevention in Nigerian waters,” the former Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said.

He advised the government to go back to the drawing board and have a full identification of wrecks.

“There should be identification of those that are serious and dangerous wrecks in the way of navigation, particularly those not marked,’’  Akinsoji  said.

He said there were wrecks which were potentially, either dangerous to navigation, decayed or had become hazardous, toxic and could be dangerous to the villages around the channels.

Akinsoji said that there were also some wrecks that should removed because they were either not pleasant to the environment or could serve as hide-outs to miscreants.

“The wrecks law is supposed to deal with such matters,” he said, adding, “we have wreck superintendent according to the law as well as receiver of wrecks’’.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Transport, Mr Idris Umar had on Tuesday said at a news conference in Abuja that NIMASA would remove 52 wrecks.

NPA said it had removed 24 critical wrecks in Lagos channels, but the Lagos State Government still complained about 32 others abandoned in Lagos channels.

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Maritime

Customs Kaduna Command Generates ?5b Revenue In Oct

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6 days ago

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November 10, 2025

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kaduna Area Command, has achieved a new revenue milestone, generating ?5.16 billion in October 2025
The Area Command said the feat was the highest monthly revenue ever recorded.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Ridwan Yusuf, revealed this in a Statement made available to Journalists
The figure, Yusuf said, represent 96 per cent increase above the monthly target and a 196 per cent target performance.
Yusuf said that the command collected ?39.79 billion between January and October 2025, compared with ?24.06 billion generated during the same period in 2024 reflecting a substantial year,on year growth.
the Area Controller, Comptroller Saad Hassan, attributed the record performance to the dedication and professionalism of officers and stakeholders, in line with the modernisation agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.
He identified improved stakeholders’ engagement, digitalisation of excise operations, and enhanced officers’ motivation as key factors driving the Command’s success.
“The Command’s performance demonstrates the effectiveness of our current operational strategies and our unwavering commitment to national economic stability,” Hassan said.
He assured that the command would continue to sustain the momentum by facilitating legitimate trade and improving revenue collection mechanisms.
The Command also reaffirmed its resolve to uphold professionalism and integrity in line with the service’s overall mission of trade facilitation and economic growth.
By; Chinedu Wosu
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Maritime

Shipper’s Council Advocates Sensitization Of Staff On NSITF Scheme 

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6 days ago

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November 10, 2025

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The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called for proper Sensitization of staff on the proposed insurance scheme by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
 Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Akutah Pius, made the call while playing host to a courtesy visit by NSITF officials to his office, in Lagos.
Represented by Director of Human Resources Management, Alhaji Mustapha Zubairu, Akutah emphasized the Nigeria Shipper’s Council commitment to prioritizing staff insurance and health, citing existing policies with positive impacts on employees’ lives.
He requested NSITF to strengthen its legal framework to enable the NSC to fully benefit from the scheme.
Earlier, the Team Head, NSITF’  Adegbite Oludotun said that the organization provides compensation for insured government employees in case of injury, disability, or death during active service.
While commending the NSC for registering with the scheme, Oludotun assured adequate compensation for employee claims and safety.
By: Chinedu Wosu
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Maritime

Navy Rescues Six Male, Five Female Passengers From Drowning In Rivers 

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6 days ago

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November 10, 2025

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The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Nigerian Navy Service NNS has rescued six male and five female passengers from a sinking speedboat along Bonny waterways in Rivers state
This is contained in a Statement by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, and made available to newsmen, in Abuja.
Adams-Aliu said the rescue operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, along the Bonny River.
According to the statement, the boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt for Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, developed engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Rivers State.
He said the swift response of the Naval patrol team under heavy rainfall prevented a major tragedy as all 11 passengers comprising six males and five females, were safely evacuated and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Jetty for medical checks.
“The rescued victims were later handed over to the Marine Police for onward reunification with their families,”
The Naval spokesman said the Navy, in another Operation last wednesday, intensified crackdown on crude oil theft with the deactivation of multiple illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta.
He said personnel of FOB Escravos dismantled two sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.
“Similarly, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER patrol team uncovered and deactivated another site with cooking ovens, reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil around Bakana and Isaka areas of Rivers.
“Also, personnel of FOB Bonny dismantled a refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area, while NNS DELTA patrol team deactivated another at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta,”
Adams-Aliu said the operations reflect the Navy’s renewed commitment under the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to ensure maritime safety, protect national assets, and promote lawful economic activities.
The statement reaffirmed that the Nigerian Navy would sustain the momentum in its fight against crude oil theft and all forms of illegality within the nation’s maritime domain.
By: Chinedu Wosu
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