Connect with us

Business

Senate Wants Fixed Tarrif For Terminal Operators

Published

12 years ago

on

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.

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.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

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

Published

6 days ago

on

May 18, 2026

By

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
Continue Reading

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

6 days ago

on

May 18, 2026

By

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
Continue Reading

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

2 weeks ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

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.
Continue Reading

Trending