Business
Senate Wants Fixed Tarrif For Terminal Operators
L-R: Deputy NLC President, Mr Issa Aremu, President, Health Workers Union, Mr Ayuba Wambaa, Bomb Disposal Officer, FCT Police Command, Mr Adigun Tajudeen, TUC President, Malam Kaigama Bobboi, NLC President, Malam Abdulwaheed Omar, Acting NLC General-Secretary, Mr Chris Uyot and NLC Assistant Secretary, Organising and Industrial Relations, Mr Nuhu Toro, during their visit to the scene of last Monday explosion at Nyanya in Abuja, yesterday. Photo: NAN.
The Senate Committee on Privatisation has directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to introduce fixed tariff for terminal operators at the nation’s ports.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Olugbenga Obadara, said this last Monday during a visit to NPA headquarters in Lagos.
He said a fixed tariff regime would lead to an increase in the revenue profile of the organisation.
“The committee wants to know what is being generated either quarterly or half yearly because the space at the ports belongs to the Federal Government.
“The committee is inspecting not only the ports, but also all the government agencies so that there will be a progression in revenue and not a drop,” Obadara said.
According to him, the visit afforded them the opportunity of listening to the complaints of some of the terminal operators including Josepdam Service Ltd and Five Star Logistics operating at Tin Can Island Port.
“The terminal operators complained of the delay in completing port rehabilitation, the access road which has affected quick delivery of cargoes and low profit margin.
“The committee spent more than 25 minutes at Tin Can Island Port and surprisingly, the terminal operators were unable to provide receipts of the monthly remittances to NPA.
“We need money to finance NPA’s budget and if the operators cannot tell us where the money is, NPA should be able to tell us,” said Obadara from Ogun Central.
In his response, the Managing Director of NPA, Malam Habib Abdulahi, told the committee that the mandate of NPA had changed since the port concession regime came into being some years ago.
Abdulahi urged the Lagos State Government to collaborate with the Federal Government in ensuring that trucks plying Apapa-Oshodi Expressway complied with the necessary regulations and laws.
“We have already engaged consultants to look into 25 years development plan at the ports on the ocean side.
“Maybe we should start thinking of moving the ports gradually to some islands in Lagos such as the Snake Island.
“Possibly that may reduce the stress of doing business at the ports.”
On the terminal operators, Abdulahi said there was need to review the agreement reached with them after five years of operation.
He said, “For instance, Energy Nigeria Ltd has complained of drop in revenue as a result of the ban on importation of cement which has caused a drop by 40 per cent, while the duty payable on rice also dropped by 15 per cent.
“The import policy on fish has also affected their business and we have to keep looking at the changes so that NPA will keep reviewing the agreement.
“Five Star Logistics says the policy on importation of cars may also affect its minimum tonnage in 2015.”
For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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