Blog – Page 55 – Shipping World News Magazine

Apr72022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Bayelsa Exco Approves Nembe-Brass Road Project *Gov Diri Signs 3 Bills Into Law, Warns Aspirants Against Protest

News Feature

The Bayelsa State Executive Council has approved the construction of Phase One of the Nembe-Brass road in Bayelsa East Senatorial District of the state. This was disclosed on Wednesday at a joint press briefing after the 70th session of the executive council in Government House, Yenagoa. Addressing the press, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, accompanied by his counterparts of the Ministries of Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, and Health, Dr Pabara Igwele, stated that the first phase will cover a distance of 21 kilometres with 10 bridges. Duba said the Governor Douye Diri administration inherited two senatorial road projects from the previous administration and promised to embark on the third one, which is the long-awaited road fro...

Apr72022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

AKINWUMI RICKETTS BOUNCES BACK AS NPA BOARD CHAIRMAN

News Feature

Reprieve has finally come the way of Chief Akinwumi Ricketts, Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Ports Authority who was unceremoniously removed from office under controversial circumstances last year. A statement yesterday announcing the composition of new Boards of Parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Transportation saw Chief Akinwumi emerge as Chairman of the new NPA Board . The statement signed by the Director of Press of the Ministry of Transportation said 'His Excellency, The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR has approved the re-constitution of members of the Governing Boards of the following Parastatals under the purview of the Ministry: i. Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) ii. Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) iii. Maritime Aca...

Apr42022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Bayelsa to Compliment NIMASA in Gulf of Guinea , partners EU

Business, Maritime, News Feature

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed the willingness of the state to partner the European Union towards ensuring security in the Gulf of Guinea. Speaking in Abuja on Monday when he played host to a delegation on maritime security from the European Union, Governor Diri said as the state with the longest coastline in Nigeria, Bayelsa is interested in collaborations that will help it secure its maritime area and harness the resources therein. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as describing Bayelsa and the entire Ijaw nation as critical stakeholders in maritime safety given the fact that the lives of the people depend on their coastal ecosystem. He said it is in line with the significance of the ecosystem to the peop...

Mar252022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Bayelsa Govt, IFDC signs MOU on 5 key projects

News Feature, Press Release

Bayelsa State Government and the International Finance & Development Corporation (IFDC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to invest in five different high impact and key infrastructural projects in different parts of Bayelsa State. The USA-based IFDC is mobilizing funds and resources to invest and finance a 10 MTPA capacity LNG project, 35,000 - 45,000 barrels per day capacity GTL project, 500 MW Gas to Power plant and Deep Sea Port and Port city development projects in the State. The preliminary estimated total project cost is $17.5 Billion USD. The President and CEO of IFDC, Mr. Kazi H. Ahmed, mandated Mr. Michael Hartman, from Germany as representative of IFDC to tidy up the investment plan and sign the agreement with the Bayelsa State Government. Mr. H...

Mar222022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Hadiza Bala Usman: End of an Era of Impunity

News Feature, Port News

When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us – Wole Soyinka. Industry watchers were shocked when in July 2016, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman was named Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). She thus became the first woman in the history of the agency to be appointed into that exalted office. Her appointment was a replacement for Abdullahi Habib whose second coming was aborted following irreconcilable differences with his Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi. Habib, who was sacked at the twilight of the Jonathan administration, was recalled to his former job six months after Mallam Ado Bayero took over from him. Hadiza’s appointment was received with mixed feelings, especially by stakeholders w...

Mar212022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

NPA Top Job: How Amaechi Floored Kaduna Mafia

News Feature, Politics, Port News

The week and months leading to the dethronement of Hadiza Bala Usman at Marina House unravelled like the epic biblical battle between David and Goliath. While Hadiza Bala Usman drummed up the entire war chest of the famed Kaduna Mafia, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, had the backing of a little-known Kebbi Mafia, featuring Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as its Consigliere. It was the classic setting for a battle of wits between the proud, powerful and established order confronted by an emerging force seeking to usurp the status quo. Kaduna Mafia, for the records, was founded in 1966 by a group of Nigeria’s northern intelligentsia made up of civil servants, businessmen and top military officers who resided or conducted activitie...

Mar212022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi: A Minister’s Last Laugh

News Feature, Port News

That only death can be worse than betrayal is an age-long aphorism; and for more than two and half years into the five-year tenure of Ms Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), this was the burden Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi had to contend with. Rotimi Amaechi did not know jack about Hadiza until Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai introduced her to the Buhari Campaign Council in 2014. And true to the recommendations, Hadiza proved in the various tasks assigned to her that she could be relied upon. She came into the Buhari Campaign Council with very brilliant ideas which endeared her to Amaechi. “I found in Hadiza an unquestionable passion for excellence in Project Nigeria. Her contributions to discussions at various sessions were top-notch....

Mar172022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NAVY COMMENDS NIMASA ON DEEP BLUE PROJECT … As Project earns international recognition.

Misc

The Chairman House Committee on the Nigerian Navy Honorable Yusuf Gagdi has commended the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for its commitment to transparency in its execution of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also known as the Deep Blue Project. This commendation was made today when the Agency’s Management appeared before the House Committee on Navy currently investigating the Deep Blue Contract awarded to the HLS International Limited by Nigeria. “We in the Committee of the Navy commend your Management team at NIMASA for providing all documents we have requested for. It shows that you have nothing to hide”. Our desire is to ensure public funds are spent not only in public interest but in accordanc...

Mar162022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

Why we are amending the NIMASA Act and the Cabotage Act…Gbajabiamala

Maritime, News Feature

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila Tuesday announced that the 9thAssembly embarked on the Amendment of the NIMASA Act 2007 and the Cabotage Act 2003 due to the need to improve the regulatory instruments in the Nigerian maritime sector to meet the need of current realities. Honorable Gbajabiamila stated this while declaring open the two day public hearing by the House Committee on Maritime Safety Education and Administration on the Merchant Shipping Act, Repeal and Enactment Bill 2021, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act Repeal & Enactment Bill 2021, Coastal & Inland Cabotage Amendment Bill 2020. The Speaker noted the need for appropriate regulation of the Nigerian maritime industry in tune with realities of the times to ensure ...

Mar162022 by Asu BeksNo Comments

WHY WE MUST JOIN FORCES TO RESCUE NIMASA….League of Fmr NIMASA DGs

Maritime, News Feature

It what looked like a tale of woes, some past Directors General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, took a retrospective look at the history of the Agency and concluded that NIMASA has fallen far short of the expectations and needs of industry stakeholders , despite its modest achievements but require a rejig of it's laws to give it the power to bark and bite. This unanimous verdict was thrown up yesterday by the former helmsmen of Agency, as the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Administration commenced a public hearing on a bill to ammend both the NIMASA Act and the Cabotage Act. The three past Directors General who spoke at the public hearing included Arc Ferdinand Agu, Mfon Usoro and Prince Temi Omatseye. Mrs Mfon Usoro who was pioneer Director Ge...