Headlines

FG grants firm approval for $2.9bn contract to construct deep seaport in Delta.

Eyewitness reporter

The Federal Government has given a Nigerian firm, Mercury Maritime Concession Company (MMCC), a provisional approval through the Ministry of Transportation to construct a deep seaport at Escravos, Delta State tagged Escravos Seaport Industrial Complex (ESIC-1) for the sum of $2.9 billion.

The project will be home to eight other projects including a deep seaport, a free trade zone, a crude oil refinery and gas complex and a nature conservation park.

The promoters of the project said it will promote massive collateral investments in commerce, industry, mining, power, housing, recreation and tourism, etc estimated at $50 billion.

The Chairman of MMCC, Rear Admiral Andrew Okoja, who was addressing a stakeholders’ meeting at the weekend, revealed that the project, which is a maritime-driven project, would generate about 40,000 employment and eliminate criminalities such as piracy in the region.

Okoja said the Escravos seaport project, which would be on 30,000 hectares of land in South West of Warri in Delta State, would decongest the Lagos ports and bring in more people into the maritime industry.

He further declared that all the industries in the world have something to do with maritime, as it carries 90 percent of the world’s resources.

“We have gotten a provisional approval from the Federal Government.

“They told us to lodge in $1 billion and to lodge in your money, you have to go through some certain protocols before you bring out that money. We are to lodge in the money as the capacity to funding not that we are going to give the Federal Government.

“The provisional approval was given through the Ministry of Transportation and we were given a condition, pay $1 billion, we will give you a license. It is like when you need land, you register and you are asked to pay this amount and after paying it, you would be given the land,” he added.

He said the project will be ready in five years, adding that it would boost the economic and national development of Nigeria particularly, Delta State.

Engr. Stephen Kema Okoja, one of the promoters, said Escravos seaport is conceptualized as a modern deep seaport that would handle container Ro-Ro vessels, specialized cargo and general cargo.

“The seaport is designed to primarily serve ESIC-1 and also support Nigeria’s regular international seaborne trade, thus accentuating the contribution of Delta ports to Nigeria’s economic development as well as boosting contributions of Delta State seaports Nigeria’s International seaborne trade from its present to three percent share.”

“Project conceptualized to take advantage of the quick and direct access of ESIC-1 Seaport to the Atlantic ocean as its multimodal transport access to approximately 80 percent of hinterland Nigeria and it’s landlocked countries to transform Delta State into a regional multi-modal transport hub of West Africa,” he added.

Speaking on the specific benefits of ESIC-1, Prof. Charles Asenime, said the central location of ESIC-1 grants Delta State direct multimodal transport accessibility to 70 percent of the Nigerian landmass (four (4) geo-political zones including Abuja) and the littoral nations of the world.

“The development of ESIC-1 project will transform the coastal/foreshore line between Benin river and Forcados river into prime lands for seafront/sea-view property development.

“Such development will check ocean incursion on Delta State coastal land arising from earth warming/sea rising effects caused by depletion of the atmospheric ozone layer.

“ESIC-1 Seaport will substantially eliminate congestion in the Lagos seaports. It will provide a solution to the accessibility and low-draft disincentive to mariners that are associated with sailing to Warri Port, Burutu, Koko, Onitsha, and Port Harcourt ports.

“Will directly open up Delta State and five other geopolitical zones of the nation to International trade, commerce and industry,” he said.

Headlines

House of Reps gives NIMASA green light to disburse CVFF –appoints audit firm to coordinate, monitor disbursement

Hon. Legor Idagbo

The eyewitness reporter

The House of Representatives has given the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) a clean bill of health over the controversial Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds(CVFF) and consequently directed the agency to disburse the funds.

It would be recalled that the lawmakers, a few weeks ago, halted the planned disbursement after long and painstaking groundwork made by the Ministry of Transportation and NIMASA towards the disbursement process.

The House had raised concerns over the funds, said to be about #700m, and decided to ask its committee on Nigerian Contents Development and Monitoring to investigate the funds.

This followed a motion during its sitting last month on the matter and subsequently directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to stop the planned disbursement of the fund.

However, after concluding its investigation, the House found tenable the need to disburse the funds to the eligible indigenous ship owners.

Addressing journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Legor Idagbo said that its investigations indicated that due process was followed, informing that the disbursement can now be made.

“The House of Representatives at its sitting on Tuesday, 4 May 2023, deliberated on a motion on the Planned Disbursement of $700 Million Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund, and investigate the Total Accrual of the Fund, and referred same to the House Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring to, amongst other resolutions, investigate and urge the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to immediately stop the planned disbursement of $700 million to Nigerian citizens and companies and to lay before the floor of the House, an audited statement of account showing all monies that have accrued to the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund not later than fourteen (14) days from the date of this resolution.

“The Committee requested the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Ministry of Transportation to provide detailed information on the total amount accrued to the Fund and disbursements since inception.

“The Committee met with the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ({NIMASA) on Thursday, 11 May 2023 to find out about the details concerning the matter.

” After a thorough analysis of the various submissions on the matter coupled with the explanations given by the Ministry and NIMASA, the Committee discovered that due process was followed in the planned disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund.

“The Committee notes that the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) is a fund that was set up in 2003 by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act.

” The Fund was established for the purpose of developing indigenous ship acquisition capacity, and to provide financial assistance to indigenous shipping operators.

“The Committee further notes that there is a lack of Capacity amongst indigenous/ Domestic Coastal operators in Nigeria, thus the reason Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) still awards contracts to foreign shipping Companies in contravention of the Cabotage and Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

“Some of these awards have been previously investigated by the Committee which led to their cancellation.

“It was also discovered that the total funds of $360m in the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) represents 50%, while the remaining counterpart funds of 50% is from stakeholders and Banks which is 15% and 35% respectively.

“NIMASA should go ahead with the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) in compliance with the extant laws and laid down guidelines for the said disbursement.

“To ensure the disbursement does not violate any of the extant laws made by the National Assembly, the following persons were nominated to supervise the disbursement process:
“Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Legor Idagbo – Chairman ii. Hon. Henry Nwawuba – Member iii. | Mrs. Kehinde Bolade Olaiya – Committee Clerk.

“An Audit firm, Stratford Hill and Co. was appointed by the committee as the coordinating enforcement auditor for the CVFF.

“The Committee applauds NNPC for its commitment to awarding the shipping contracts to indigenous companies that have built capacity to the level where they can successfully execute these contracts.

“The Committee is grateful to the leadership of the House for the confidence bestowed on it to carry out the investigation”.

Headlines

President Tinubu appoints Gbajabiamila Chief of Staff

Gbajabiamila , Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as his Chief of Staff.

An authoritative source in the Presidency confirmed the development on Thursday.

The source said the president finally made the decision after wide consultations on the contending candidates.

Gbajabiamila has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2012 and has just been re-elected to the House in the last elections.

The choice of Gbajabiamila by the president is not a surprise to many political pundits as he has been a very close ally to the president.

They are part of the brains behind the formation of the All-Progressives Party (APC).

He will now have to forgo his seat in the House of Representatives if he accepts the appointment.

Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila CFR, is a Nigerian lawyer and foundation member of the APC.

He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2019.

Gbajabiamila was born in Lagos in 1962 and attended Igbobi College for his secondary education and the University of Lagos as part of his education.

He is married to Salamatu Gbajabiamila.

Headlines

Maritime media, NUJ mourn as Ray Ugochukwu passes on to glory

Ray Ugochukwu

The eyewitness reporter

The media confraternity of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council and the maritime media, was thrown into a deep shock and mourning Thursday at the sudden demise of Mr Ray Ugochukwu, a crack journalist of international repute.

The entire members of the NUJ and the maritime media, his immediate constituency, received the news of his death, which was broken by Mr Leye Ajayi, the Chairman of the NUJ Lagos council, in a terse message posted on the council’s WhatsApp platform, with mixed emotion of sadness, shock and disbelief.

Shell-shocked, most colleagues of the deceased, who thought the announcement was a joke taken too far, make frantic calls to the NUJ council officials who confirmed the unfortunate incident.

As the rude reality of the death of the erudite maritime journalist sank in, many of them paid glowing tributes to the man widely regarded as the encyclopedia of the maritime press and a repository of wise sayings.

In its statement on the death of Mr Ugochukwu, Leye Ajayi eulogised the huge reportorial qualities of the deceased who has practised journalism for over 30 years

“With heavy hearts, we mourn the death of a media giant, a versatile Unionist and a brilliant journalist, Mr Ray Ugochukwu who passed on on Thursday.

“The death of Ray came as a big shock to the union.

“We are going to miss his courageous attributes and mentorship.

“He was also one of the pillars of the Lagos Council of NUJ and served the union meritoriously in his capacities as the Chairman of, the Seminar Committee; and as a Member, the Committee on Milestone Recognition of Media Icons In Nigeria.

“He spent most of his life in ensuring the advancement of Maritime Reporting as well as the welfare of Journalists.

“He worked in several media houses.

“Among his giant strides, he was a former President of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN); President, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN); and a former Chairman of the Daily Times Chapel of NUJ.

“The legacies of Ray are indelible and will exist forever.

“May God grant his soul eternal rest” the Lagos NUJ said in a statement signed by Leye Ajayi, the Council Chairman and Tunde Olalere, the Council Secretary.