Thursday, March 28Nigeria's Authoritative Maritime News Magazine
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I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! Senate Holds on to Customs 2015, 2016, 2017 Budgets

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! Senate Holds on to Customs 2015, 2016, 2017 Budgets

Breaking News, Business, Maritime
The seeming face off between the Nigerian Senate and Customs helmsman Hameed Ali is taking a huge toll on anti smuggling drive and revenue generation efforts of the Nigerian Customs Service. And this may further hamper the ease of doing business at the ports. This has led to deliberate refusal of the Senate to appropriate capital funds to the agency which is the reason there is a shortfall in anti smuggling patrol vehicles and functional scanners at the nation's major entry points among other essential needs of the agency. The Nigerian Customs Service is the third highest revenue earner for the country. Hameed Ali and the Senate have been engrossed in an ego war for almost two years now on account of the Customs Chief refusing to appear in the red chambers donned in Customs uniform. ...
Breaking: Buhari to appoint more ministers

Breaking: Buhari to appoint more ministers

Breaking News, Politics
President Muhammadu Buhari will soon appoint more ministers into his cabinet. He will  also make board appointments, a demand by his party members over the months. President Buhari gave hints of the new appointments in a speech delivered today to the National Executive of the All Progressives Congress at the national secretariat in Abuja. President Buhari at the moment has 36  ministers, with 14 of them being ministers of state. He doubles as the full minister of petroleum. When he appointed them in 2015, he said he was having a trimmed cabinet to avoid waste. Now faced by demands by his party for more inclusiveness and patronage, he said he would be shifting ground soon. The “compressed Federal Executive Council”, he said, “will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Lev...
Why Nigeria Needs A Functional Coast Guard – Amaechi

Why Nigeria Needs A Functional Coast Guard – Amaechi

Breaking News, Business, Law
Transportation Minister Rotimi AMAECHI, took a retrospective look at the challenges facing Nigeria's Maritime Security architecture and concluded that there could be no better time than now to have a functional Coast Guard. AMAECHI made the disclosure while contributing to a lecture titled " Ensuring Safe and Secure Water ways Transportation " presented by Rear Admiral AA Oshinowo. Amaechi was speaking at the World Maritime Day which held Monday at Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos with the theme "Connecting Sips, Ports and People. The minister explained all stakeholders must come together and agree on the methodology to create an enabling environment for a full fledged Coast Guard. Said AMAECHI, " We cannot call the present collaboration between NIMASA , the Navy and Air force as a Coast G...
NIMASA approves 250 Cadets  for Sea time Training

NIMASA approves 250 Cadets for Sea time Training

Breaking News, Business, Port News
Succour has last come the way of the graduates of NIMASA's seaferers development program as the first batch of about 250 Cadets have been invited to the NIMASA' Corporate head office , Lagos, this week for documentation . The documentation Shipping World learnt is preparatory to the placement of the Cadets who completed their degree programs over three years ago to be placed on the mandatory one year on board training before certification. The Agency's Executive Director Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services ,Mr Gambo Ahmed confirmed to Shipping World exclusively in Lagos Monday that NIMASA have concluded arrangements with selected Ship owners in the UK and Cairo , Egypt for the placements. One of the beneficiaries Eniye Emokpo was full of praises for the Director General of NIMAS...
Fed Civil Service Yet to Disengage Maina

Fed Civil Service Yet to Disengage Maina

Breaking News, Law, Politics
Despite an order last week by President Muhammadu Buhari that the embattled former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, be dismissed from service on account of his mysterious return and re-engagement by the Federal Civil Service Commission, indications are rife that he may not have been officially sacked by his employers. Usually dependable sources at the Civil Service Commission told our magazine that the process of his formal disengagement is yet to commence. "  We cannot sack him based on a mere verbal order by Mr President. The Civil Service is an institution guided by rules and regulations, and Maina's case cannot be an exception",  said our source. It was learnt that as at the close of business last Friday, the Commission was yet t...
Buhari’s government is 50 percent PDP controlled, says Hameed Ali Customs Boss

Buhari’s government is 50 percent PDP controlled, says Hameed Ali Customs Boss

Breaking News, Politics
Comptroller General of Nigeria Custom Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali has said that the Buhari government has not been able to move forward and fulfill its campaign promises because most of those calling the shots in the government are those who never believed in the President’s vision. Ali’s assertion was supported by Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong who said state governors are not happy that they are left out of appointments being made by the government. Speaking at the commissioning of the office complex of the Buhari Support Organisation in (BSO) in Abuja, Col Ali who is also the National Coordinator of the Organisation said that more than fifty percent of positions in the Buhari government were handled over to members of the PDP who fought against the actualisation of a B...
Military Operation in N’Delta: Seven Ships, 37 Gunboats to be Deployed

Military Operation in N’Delta: Seven Ships, 37 Gunboats to be Deployed

Breaking News, Law, Politics
The Nigerian Navy will deploy seven ships and 37 gunboats during a military exercise known as ‘Operation Octopus Grip’ in the Niger Delta creeks and waterways. This was disclosed by the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Bello Al-Hassan, who said this was a riverine and sea exercise in the Niger Delta. He told newsmen in Yenagoa, that the exercise will begin from October 30 to November 1. Following fears from residents, the Navy assured them not to worry as the command has a task of ensuring security throughout the exercise. AL-Hassan said “so far, the operation has recorded huge success in reducing crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other maritime crimes. “Between May and September this year, the command seized and destroyed about 870,000 MT of illegal...
PANDEF meeting in Port Harcourt aborted by Police

PANDEF meeting in Port Harcourt aborted by Police

Breaking News, Law, Politics
THE General Assembly of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, billed to hold at the Atlantic Hall of Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, yesterday, was aborted by heavily armed security operatives. The meeting, among other things, was to review the constitution of the body and elect officers. As early as 9am, security men decked in black attire, apparently from the state Police Command and the Department of State Service, DSS, took over Birabi Street, the road leading to the main gate of Hotel Presidential, turning back vehicles on the street. Three patrol vehicles were used to block the road. When Vanguard correspondent approached some of the stern looking security operatives to be allowed into the hotel premises, they politely told him that they were there to ensure the meeting of PANDEF ...