Fuel Scarcity Looms As FG Suspends Tanker Drivers From Ibru, Ibafon Jetty

• Petroleum Minister; Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke
and NUPENG President, Comrade Igwe Achese

There is palpable fear of another round of petroleum scarcity‎ in Nigeria as the Federal Government has temporarily suspended petroleum tanker drivers from loading products from petroleum tank farms at Ibafon and Ibru jetty. 

Shipping Position Daily gathered that the directive was issued in order to allow the completion of the on-going rehabilitation of the Coconut end of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway by construction company, Julius Berger. 

Vice Chairman of Ascon Uinit‎ of NUPENG, Comrade Owolabi Jimoh disclosed to our correspondent that Julius Berger had complained bitterly to the Federal Government that the activities of the tank farms were disturbing construction of the road. 

ECONOMIC RECESSION: Shippers Council Advocates CIF In Carriage Nigeria's Crude Oil

President of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA); Capt Niyi Labinjo
(seated 3rd from left) and  the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council,
Barrister Hassan Bello (second from left) when NISA paid a courtesy call on
Bello in Lagos yesterday. They are surrounded by members of NISA and
some senior employees of Shippers Council.

...NISA Says Maritime Is Way Out Of Crisis
The Nigeria Shippers’ Council has said that the continuous carriage‎ of Nigeria's crude oil on Free On Board (FOB) basis is injurious to the nation's economy, even as the Council has harped on the need to develop indigenous shipowners and patronise them.
This is even as the Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA) has called on the Federal Government to look inwards and develop the nation's maritime sector, saying that‎ it is the only way out of the present economic recession in Nigeria.
Executive Secretary of the Shippers’Council, Barrister Hassan Bello made the call yesterday at his office in Lagos when the new executives of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) led by its President, Capt. Niyi Labinjo paid him a courtesy visit.

Tension At Apapa Port As APM Terminal Reneges On MoU With Freight Forwarders

Barely two weeks after they called-off the 12 days strike action they had embarked upon to protest the alleged high handedness and incompetence of APM Terminals at Apapa port in Lagos, freight forwarders‎ have again raised alarm that the terminal failed to keep to the terms of Memorandum of Understanding signed with them.

The‎ APM Terminals had signed the MoU with the agents at the Nigerian Ports Authority headquarters in the presence of the Commissioner of Police in charge of ports; Mrs. Ibifuro Harrison, promising that they will wave demurrage charges for the 12 days strike among other agreements.

But speaking with Shipping Position Daily yesterday, Apapa Chapter Chairman of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)‎ ;Mr. Olumide Fakanlu said that APM Terminal has reneged on the first three provisions of the MoU.

AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON AIRPORT CONTROLLER:

Customs Area Controller, Murtala Mohammed Airport Command,
Mr. Tajudeen Olanrewaju (M) Controller of Federal Operations Unit‎ Zone’ A’,
Mr. Usman Turaki (R) and Deputy Controller of Administration at the
Airport command , Muhammed Abdulraman during a press briefing at
the command in Lagos yesterday.

Customs CG Orders Indefinite Closure Of SAHCOL, NAHCO Terminals At Lagos Airport

Five days after it personnel was attacked by clearing agenst and hoodlums at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service; Dikko Inde Abdullahi has ordered that major cargo handling terminals at the airport; Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) must remain shut.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday, Customs Area Controller of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command of the Customs, Tajudeen Olanrewaju disclosed that the Customs CG has directed that ‎only perishable items, diplomatic cargoes and medical equipments that are trapped at the terminals should be cleared.

Customs Comptroller General Dismisses 52 Officers For Corruption

The Comptroller General of Customs;
Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde

52 officers of the Nigeria Customs Service have been dismissed from the service for corruption-related offences.
The shocking revelation came to the fore on Tuesday during a meeting in Abuja between top executives of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the management of the Nigeria Customs Service.
At the meeting which was meant to address some operations issues between the Customs hierarchy and the leadership of ANLCA, the Comptroller General of Customs; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde announced the dismissal of the officers.

NISA Inaugurates New Executives

President of the Shipowners Association (NISA)
Capt. Niyi Labinjo (right) being sworn in into office yesterday at the
Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos while the former NISA Chairman,
Chief Jolapamo looks on at an inauguration ceremony organized
for the newly elected executives of NISA.

...As New Chair; Capt Labinjo Begs Ogbeifun, Omatseye
The Nigeria Shipowners Association of Nigeria (NISA) yesterday inaugurated its newly elected executives led by Capt Niyi Labinjo, they are to lead the association for the next two years.
In his inaugural speech, Capt. Labinjo made a passionate plea to the duo of Engineer Gregory Ogbeifun, Chairman Starz Group as well as ‎former Director General of NIMASA and Chairman Polymaz Shipping Limited, Barr. Temisan Omatseye to lend him their experiences and also join hands with him.
Labinjo had defeated Ogbeifun and Omatseye in the recently conducted elections to clinch the position.

Shippers’ Council Defeats STOAN, Shipping Companies In Court

Executive Secretary of Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC),
Barrister Hassan Bello

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday struck out the court injunction earlier obtained by the Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN) against the Nigerian Shippers’Council on technical grounds.
Justice Buba Ibrahim, in his ruling consequently gave the Nigerian Shippers’ Council the go-ahead to implement its earlier directive to the terminal operators and shipping companies on some of their charges.
The Presiding Judge said that the parties which came by way of originating summons, did not tell the court the issues (questions) for determination.

ISPS CODE: Fresh Anxiety As US Coast Guard Revisits Nigerian Facilities This Week

After its last verdict in June, when it rated Nigerian ports and facilities low in the Implementation of the ISPS Code, officials of the United States Coast Guard are billed to visit port facilities beginning from today (Monday).
Shipping Position Daily gathered authoritatively last week that, the US Coast Guard team is due to arrive the country by the weekend and that they will be doing a follow-up visit to the facilities that fell short of expectations during their last visit.
Ahead of the visit, the designated authourity (DA) for the ISPS Code in Nigeria, that is, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) already put the various facilities and terminal on notice to put their houses in order.

Shippers Kick Against High Port Charges

The President, Shippers Association, Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nicol, has pitched tent with the Nigerian Shippers Council in the face-off with terminal operators and shipping companies. The association said on yesterday that its members would resist high charges by shipping companies and terminal operators.
Nicol who said this in Lagos also added that the shippers’ associations had been calling for a reduction in port and other cargo handling charges for many years.
According to him, it is not a good thing for Nigeria to be labelled as the most expensive in the world– in terms of port operations.

Okonjo-Iweala Accuses Past Govts Of Import Waiver Abuse

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has accused previous governments of granting lopsided import waivers, saying that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration now grants waiver to organisations and not individuals
She stated this in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking at a forum organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs.
The minister, who described the previous import waiver policy as being selective, added that it provided an unequal playing field for businesses operating in the country.
She said the Federal Government now grants import waiver to different sectors of the economy instead of individuals and individual industries.

ANLCA, NAGAFF Mobilise Members To Shut Down Port Over Terminal Operators, Shipping Coys Face-Off With Shippers’Council

Even as stakeholders in the maritime sector remain apprehensive over attempts to frustrate the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s directive to reduce some controversial charges being collected by shipping companies and terminal operators, there are indications that the two leading freight forwarding associations in Nigeria have put their members on standby for an impending strike.
This indication was contained in a press release sent to Shipping Position Daily yesterday in which the duo of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) expressed anger over actions of some shipping service providers in the ports.
In the statement which was signed by presidents of the two associations; Prince Olayiwola Shittu and Chief Eugene Nweke respectively, the associations expressed dismay at what they called attempt to arm-twist the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in the performance of its role as the economic regulator of the port.

Protesting Freight Forwarders Shut Down APM Terminal At Apapa Port

• ‎Allege arbitrary charges
• Vow to picket shipping companies today
Freight Forwarders operating at the Apapa port in Lagos yesterday shut down all commercial operations at the APM Terminal in protest of alleged arbitrary charges‎ and other unwholesome practices by the concessionaire.
The protest which was spearheaded by a joint task force of ANLCA, NAGAFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents and AREFFN, crippled activities at the terminal for the whole day, even as agents were not allowed to gain access to the terminal to transact any business.
Speaking with Shipping PositionDaily on the matter, the Vice Chairman of Apapa Chapter of ANLCA, Mr. Dom Onyeka said that the protest is coming after several attempts which had been made to resolve issues with the management of the terminal failed.

Anxiety As Shippers’ Council’s Directive To Terminal Operators, Shipping Coys Takes- Off Today

• Freight forwarders dare concessionaires, terminal operators 

• ANLCA Boss: If they flouts the directive, we will use the opportunity to shut-down operations

• NAGAFF Boss: With our support , the Council can bite

Even as the newly-approved charges by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for terminal operators and shipping companies are expected to take-off today, freight forwarders have vowed to take-on the terminal operators and shipping companies if they fail to implement the rate-cut which was announced by the commercial regulator last week.

Leaders of freight forwarding associations; namely: NAGAFF , AREFFN and ANLCA  told Shipping Position Daily  exclusively in reaction to the new rates, that they will rally support for the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to perform better as the port economic regulator.