NAGAFF Founder; Dr Aniebonam Lambastes ANLCA

NAGAFF Founder; Dr Boniface Aniebonam

• Says association never wanted CRFFN to succeed 
 Amidst the festering controversies over the collection of practitioners’ operation fees by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Dr Boniface Aniebonam has taken a swipe at the rival Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
Dr Aniebonam who spoke on our radio programme, Shipping Position Live yesterday accused ANLCA of insincerity in the current face-off over collection of the fees by the CRFFN.
The NAGAFF founder who was fielding questions via the telephone acknowledged that there was an agreement signed by the leaders of the five associations prior to the approval that was granted by the Minister of Transport; Senator Idris Umar and the eventual gazette, which conferred legitimacy on the fees.

Leading Freight Forwarders Raise Doubt Over Controversial ‘SGF Letter’ On CRFFN Fees Collection

…May invite Police to investigate document’s authenticity
Leaders of some freight forwarding associations have expressed doubts about the authenticity of the April 29, 2015 letter purportedly written by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) which directed that the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding (CRFFN) has no power to carry out certain functions in the absence of a governing council for the agency.
Speaking to our correspondents in Lagos yesterday, the leaders (identities with held) alleged that the controversial letter which was addressed to the deputy president of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents; Mr Uchu Block must have been forged.
The letter, which those opposed to the collection of the practitioners operating fees hinged their opposition on, was signed by a director in the office of the SGF; Mr Elaigwu P.Ejembi .

CRRFN Fees Collection: Freight Forwarding Association Condemn Letter From Presidency, Direct Members To Pay

The raging face-off between freight forwarding associations over the controversial practitioners operations fees deepened yesterday with a coalition of those favourably disposed to the fees affirming their position.
Speaking under the aegis of  Concerned Accredited Freight Forwarding Association (CAFFA), they condemned the document from the office of Secretary General of the Federation (SGF) addressed to factional Deputy President of National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents,  Uchu Block saying that the document is fake.

The nascent group comprising, NAGAFF, AREFFN, NCMDLCA and NAFFAC also advised members to be law abiding, stressing the need for security presence as efforts are on to collect the Practitioners Operating Fees (POF).

After Alleging Persecution By AGF, Ex DG, NIMASA; Omatseye Opens Up On Tenure, Allegations

Ex-DG, NIMASA; Temisan Omatseye

•    Tells Court How He Netted N52Billion Into NIMASA Account
•    Says No N1.5Billion Fraud During Tenure
•    Says N271Million Fraud Missing In Court

Embattled former director general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Mr. Temisan Omatseye who is currently facing trial at a Federal High Court in Lagos has further opened up on his tenure as the agency’s helmsman and his current travails.
Mr Omatseye, last week during his ongoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said that there was no fraud amounting to N1.5billion in NIMASA during his tenure as being alleged.

ANLCA Lampoons NAGAFF, AREFFN, Others Over Practitioners’ Fees

The National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu
and NAGAFF President; Chief Eugene  Nweke

•    Accuses CRFFN of ineptitude
•    Says NAGAFF is a 'personal enterprise'
•    AREFFN is 'Building Stomach Infrastructure'

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has said that its members might be forced to take the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to court over the collection of Practitioners Operating Fees and for accrediting four freight forwarding associations illegally.

The association lampooned the CRFFN for allegedly failing in its responsibilities as a regulator of freight forwarding.

CRFFN Practitioners’ Fees Collection Turns Bloody At Seme Border

• ANLCA  Members Allegedly Beat-up CRFFN, NAGAFF Officials, Vandalise Council’s Vehicle


Attempts by officials of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to commence collection of the practitioners’ fees at the Seme border in Lagos on Tuesday turned bloody as members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) allegedly teamed up with thugs to beat-up  officials of the regulatory agency.

Sources at the scene of the attack told our correspondents that the CRFFN officials who came in an official vehicle were ambushed at the secretariat of the Seme border chapter of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

Practitioners Operation Fees: Freight Forwarding Associations Carpet ANLCA

...Say association just being greedy
A flurry of condemnation and anger last Friday trailed the volte-face by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over the controversial Practitioners Operating Fees, when it directed its members not to cooperate with the regulatory agency; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), in the payment of the fees.
From the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), to Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), and to the National Association of Air freight Cargo Consolidators (NAFAC) and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, it was condemnation galore, as leaders of these associations accused ANLCA of greed and disrespect for the regulator agency; CRFFN.

NUPENG To FASHOLA: "We Cannot Remove Petroleum Tankers From Apapa Roads‎"

UNBELIEVABLE: Wharf Road, Connecting The Lagos Ports Complex (LPC) In Apapa Free Of Vehicular Traffic Yesterday
Photo: Roland Ekama

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said that it is not possible to comply with the 48 hours ultimatum handed down to petroleum tankers to vacate the Oshodi-Apapa expressway and other roads leading into Apapa.
General Secretary of NUPENG; Comrade Isaac Aberare in an exclusive chat withShipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, said that moving the petroleum tankers away is a herculean task that cannot be accomplished in 48 hours‎.
Even though he assured of the union's readiness to comply with the directive of the Governor, Aberare noted that the gridlock has extended from Apapa down to Ijesha Bus Stop.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, had on Wednesday chaired a meeting with the stakeholders in the oil industry, where the government directed the tankers and trucks to vacate the bridges and roads.

Appeal Court Adjourns Shippers’ Council Vs STOAN, ASLA Case To June

…Counsel accuses appellants of pushing for prolonged appeal

An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned for hearing the lingering case between the Nigeria Shippers’ Council and the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) against Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and Association of Shipping Lines Agencies (ASLA) over charges at the seaports in the country.

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos had in December 2014, ruled in favour of the port economic regulator; the Nigeria Shippers’ Council and affirmed the legality of the Council’s position in price regulation and also instructed the concessionaires to  revert to the  poert charges that were approved in1999, but the terminal operators filed fresh charges on stay of execution at the Court of Appeal .

When it came up for hearing yesterday, the case was however adjourned by the Court to June 18, in order to enable  all parties to document their briefs properly.

ANLCA Threatens To Divert Cargoes To Cotonou Port Over Intels Monopoly

Executive Secretary , Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Barrister Hassan
Bello, Former Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers’ Council;
Chief Chris Orode and President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu
at  the public presentation of a book written by Dr. Obed Nkidom in Lagos yesterday

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has threatened to divert all cargoes supposedly destined for Intels Nigeria Limited at Onne port in Rivers state to Cotonou port in Benin Republic over Federal Government directives that all oil and gas projects cargo be shipped down to the Rivers state- based concessionaire’s facilities.

The association also said that such moves by the federal government will rob off on the maritime sector negatively even as it called on President Goodluck Jonathan to review what it called harsh matching order.

FIVE WEEKS OF SYSTEM FAILURE

Shippers’ Council Orders APM Terminal To Refund Storage, Demurrage Charges To Importers

The Nigeria Shippers’ Council yesterday called on all importers and their clearing agents who have had their consignments trapped at the terminal belonging to APM Terminals in Apapa port on account of the concessionaires system failure in almost five weeks to come up with their genuine invoice for a refund on charges that were imposed on them by the terminal operators.

The economic regulator of the nation’s port gave this verdict at the end of a resolution meeting between the various freight agents association and the terminal operators in Apapa yesterday.
At the meeting which was attended by all the parties, the Council directed  APMT to refund all storage charges to the importers because the problem which led to the containers’ long stay at the terminal  was squarely attributable to the concessionaire.

FG To Reintroduce Maritime Security Agency Bill

About four years after it was withdrawn from the Senate under suspicious circumstances, the controversial Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) Bill is on its way back.
The desire to revisit the bill is one of the main issues on the agenda of the in-coming administration to curb the excessive damage being done to the nation’s economy through oil theft, piracy and other maritime crimes.
The Bill was withdrawn in May 2011 by President President Goodluck Jonathan, a day before its fourth and final reading and expected passage by the Senate. It had already being passed by the House of Representatives.

You Are A Failure - NPA Workers Lampoon Ousted Managing Director

Former Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),
Mallam Habib Abdullahi

Less than 24 hours after he officially handed over as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi has received knocks from senior employees of the agency, under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Communications Transport and corporation (SSACTAC), Maritime branch, over  alleged poor remuneration for workers.
President of SSACTAC Maritime Branch, Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni in an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, expressed disappointment at the former Managing Director, even as he urged his successor;   Lamido Sanusi  Ado Bayero    to step on toes in order for him to succeed.

On Assumption Of Office, New MD NPA Begs Management For Support

Out-going Managing Director NPA , Mallam Habib Abdullahi (L)
‘handing over’ document of to his successor;
 Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero at a brief ceremony in Lagos yesterday
 

The newly-appointed Managing Director of the  Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero has appealed to the management team of the agency to  assist in the task ahead of him.

The Managing Director made the plea yesterday, during an official handing over ceremony I at the NPA corporate head office in Lagos.

CRFFN Begins Collection Of Practitioners’ Fees Monday

About six weeks after the collection of ‘Practitioners’Operating Fee ‘ was gazetted by the Federal Government , the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) said it is now ready to commence collection.
The Council has confirmed that actual collection will start on Monday, May 11, 2015. In a public notice it issued yesterday, it called attention of stakeholders to various instruments from which it derives the power to collect the fees, even as it assured that the new collection does not represent additional fees at the ports.

TOMPOLO’S ‘WARSHIPS’ RE-ECHOES: Norway Regrets Selling Ships To Ex-Niger Delta Militant

A few months after two Britons were arrested in connection with the controversial sale, Norwegian Defence Chief, Haakon Bruun-Hansen has apologised to the country’s lawmakers for the sale of a fleet of a decommissioned naval battleships and combats boats to a former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.

Mr. Ekpemupolo was the leader of one of the several militias in the Niger Delta region that led a devastating campaign of violence against the Nigerian state for several years until he was awarded a multi-billion pipeline protection contract by the out-going Goodluck Jonathan administration as part of an amnesty deal with ex-combatants.
 

Ultra-large container ship Hanjin Green Earth still on fire in Suez Canal

The latest reports say the ultra large container ship Hanjin Green Earth is still on fire in Port Said, Egypt.

On 1st of May the 13,000-TEU Hanjin vessel caught fire approximately 48 km to the south of the canal, while passing it through.

AIS data shows the vessel was transiting the canal as part of its journey from Asia to North Europe and had just arrived from Port Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The Real ‘Sin’ Of Sacked Managing Director of NPA; Habib Abdulahi

Former Managing Director of NPA; Habib Abdulahi 

…Stakeholders query domiciling NPA Managing Directorship in Kano
...And MWUN welcomes new MD with notice of strike

Ahead of his resumption at his office this week, the new managing director of Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA); Alhaji Lamido Ado Bayero will receive his first baptism of ‘fire’ from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), which last week gave the NPA another 14 days ultimatum over the lingering issue of entitlement owed tally clerks and onboard security men, who are members of the union.
Our correspondent confirmed the day after Bayero was appointed, that the union’s letter actually got to NPA and was received in the CEO’s office on Tuesday that is the day after he was announced as replacement for Alhaji Habib Abdulahi.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that, although the letter  which was signed by MWUN’s