January 2024 – Shipping World News Magazine

Jan242024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

APC Chieftain Calls for Relocation of NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA to Niger Delta

News Feature

Yekini Nabena, a chieftain of the APC and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary, has advocated for the relocation of the NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA to the Niger Delta region. Additionally, he proposed relocating the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, steel development, trade, and investment to Benue, Kogi, and Kano States, where abundant raw materials and natural resources are present. Nabena’s call comes amid controversy surrounding the purported move to relocate part of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos State for increased efficiency. The APC chieftain said: “If efficiency of these agencies is the main reason for plan to relocate them to Lagos State, we from the Niger Delta are also asking that the NNP...

Jan242024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Prepare Handover Notes, Gov. Diri Tells Cabinet Members

Politics

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has directed members of the state executive council to begin to prepare their handover notes as his first term in office winds down. Governor Diri will be sworn in for another term on February 14. He gave the directive on Wednesday during the 126th state executive council meeting inside the Executive Council Chambers in Government House, Yenagoa. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as asking them to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in their handover notes in order to achieve a smooth transition to his second term. The governor commended his cabinet members for adding value to the state through their performance and thanked them for the selfless service they rendered in the last four years....

Jan192024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Diri Tasks New NCDMB Management On Performance

News Feature

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has charged the new management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to improve on the performance of their predecessors, saying his administration will continue to support the organisation’s effort to develop local content. Governor Diri stated this when the recently appointed board members led by the Executive Secretary Mr. Felix Omashola-Ogbe, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa on Thursday. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that as the host state, the Bayelsa government will cooperate and partner with the NCDMB to ensure it achieves its set objectives. Governor Diri congratulated the Executive Secretary and the board members on ...

Jan92024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Gov Douye Diri Clarifies his Position On Pipeline Surveillance Contracts

News Feature

Bayelsa State Government has faulted media reports that it called for cancellation of oil pipeline surveillance contracts awarded by the federal government to some private security firms in the country. The government said its position, as stated by the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, during the visit of the Chief Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, on Monday to Government House, Yenagoa, remains that the Nigerian Navy should be strengthened to perform its constitutional role of tackling the country’s security challenges and protecting of its maritime assets. Governor Douye Diri, who made the clarification in a press release issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Tuesday, said the state government had never been against engaging non-state ac...

Jan82024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

GEN NDIOMU TO ASU BEKS: YOU ARE AN IROKO IN MARITIME JOURNALISM

Maritime, News Feature

Celebrating the Iroko of Nigeria's maritime media as he turns 70! Sir, my family and I join your numerous admirers and well wishers to rejoice and celebrate with you at this auspicious moment in your life. Attaining the age of 70 years is a remarkable feat which must be celebrated with immense gratitude to God Almighty. We thank God Almighty for your life and also for granting you good health as well as protecting you thus far. There is no doubt that you have contributed immensely to the development of journalism and the maritime industry in particular through your very insightful and well researched reports which have contributed in no small measure in educating and drawing awareness to significant developments in the maritime space. Your interest in ensuring sustainable peace and yo...

Jan62024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Supreme Court warns states to stay off the waterways, upvoting Niwa as the authentic regulatory authority

Press Release

The battle of who regulates all activities on Nigerian inland waterways between lagos state government and the Federal government came to an end on Friday in Abuja as the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the federal government and its inland Waterways regulatory agency, National Inland Waterways Authority( NIWA). Honourable Justice Okoro, in a landmark judgment delivered yesterday, January 5th, 2024, validated an earlier federal High Court ruling, FHC/CS/ 543/ 2012, which pronounced NIWA as the authentic authority over Nigerian inland waterways and advised lagos state government and its agencies and any other states in the country to stay away from regulatory activities on Nigerian inland waterways. Justice Okoro held that any attempt to compete over regulatory and commercial functio...

Jan42024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Tinubu Appoints Executive Directors for NIMASA, NPA

Press Release

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Executive Directors in two (2) agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy:Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA): (A) Ms. Vivian C. Richard Edet — Executive Director, Finance & Administration (NPA) (B) Engr. Olalekan Badmus — Executive Director, Marine & Operations (NPA) (C) Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar — Executive Director, Engineering & Technical Services (NPA) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) (D) Mr. Jibril Abba — Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services (NIMASA) (E) Mr. Chudi Offodile — Executive Director, Finance & Administration (NIMASA) (F) Engr. Fatai Taye Adeyemi — Executive Director, Operations (NIMASA) The President approves these...

Jan32024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Lokpobiri: Hope Not Lost On Atala Oilfield’s Return To Bayelsa Says State More Polluted Than Ogoniland Diri Assures On Collaboration To Stem Oil Theft

News Feature

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said there is still hope that the revoked licence for OML 46 (also known as Atala Oilfield), belonging to Bayelsa State, will be returned to the state. The Federal Government through the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources had in controversial circumstances revoked the licence in April 2020 when another son of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, was the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. But, Senator Lokpobiri, during a visit to Governor Douye Diri on Tuesday night at the Government House, Yenagoa, expressed regrets that the Atala oilfield, a common patrimony of the state, was taken away. The Minister said he would do everything within his power to bring back the asset. He explained t...

Jan32024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Gboyega Oyetola, I am sorry….Asu Beks.

Maritime

In the past couple of days since Daily Trend, an online publication, carried my interview captioned, "Blue Economy Ministry: Oyetola has nothing to offer, he can't deliver ", my phone lines have been inaundated with calls taking serious exceptions to the content of the interview, which the callers argued cast serious aspersions on the Integrity and person of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency, Gboyega Oyetola. I want to state categorically, that the intention of the interview and my statements therefrom, were not intended to bring to disrepute, this cerebral technocrat and accomplished Corporate icon, who until recently was the democratically elected Governor of Osun State, where he left his indelible footprints. In the main, my interview was borne out of my passio...

Jan32024 by Asu BeksNo Comments

No Apologies For Backing Diri’s Re-election, Says Jonathan

Politics

Former Nigerian president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has said that he owed no one apologies for supporting the re-election of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, in the November 11, 2023 off-cycle governorship poll in the state. Dr. Jonathan also said it was the right thing to do as Governor Diri had the support of majority of the Bayelsa people to continue in office. He stated this on Tuesday during the Yuletide visit of the governor and a high-powered delegation to his residence in Yenagoa, the state capital. Wife of the former president, Dame Patience Jonathan, was also on hand to receive the governor and his entourage. Jonathan explained that he publicly endorsed Diri’s candidature during the campaigns because of his visionary leadership demonstrated in handling the af...