Headlines

“Where is Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola?”

-maritime industry on auto-pilot as Minister’s whereabouts unknown

–maritime stakeholders express concerns over continued absence of minister at major public events

FUNSO OLOJO

Maritime stakeholders in the industry have expressed concerns and worries over the continued absence of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola, at major high-stakes functions in the sector.

The concerned industry operators, who seemed to be expressing genuine agitation over the whereabouts of the minister, observed that Oyetola has consistently absented himself in the last few weeks from some critical government and corporate functions that signpost the core functions of his ministry.

According to them, such events were attended by the representatives of the Minister.

They make copious references to the international workshop on Deep Seabed activities held on Wednesday, 18th- Thursday 19th, 2024 in Abuja where the minister, due to the importance of the meeting, was supposed to welcome participants but was represented by Oloruntola Olufemi, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Similarly, the stakeholders pointed to the two-day 4th Annual Symposium and workshop organized by the African Marine Environment Sustainability Initiative (AFMESI) held in Lagos on September 24th- 25th, 2024 where he was also represented.

More poignant among the events in which the inexplicable absence of the minister raised the adrenaline of the stakeholders was the ongoing 79th United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) 2024 at New York, United States of America.

The concerned stakeholders expressed alarm over his absence at the global event where they believed he should have used the platform to sell the programmes of the ministry to the global world.

According to them, that was one absence too many.

Similarly, the World Maritime Day held in Lagos on Thursday, September, 26th, 2024 which the Minister was supposed to have declared open, was done on his behalf by Mr Olufemi, the Permanent Secretary.

” We would have understood the absence of the Minister at the World Maritime Day if he had attended the UNGA 2024″ an agitated stakeholder observed.

” Even if he had attended the global event in New York, he would still have had time to fly back to attend the World Maritime Day where he was supposed to address the participants who are the key industry stakeholders on the achievements of his ministry, his policy thrust and projection.

“After all, I learned that NIMASA DG who addressed the Atlantic Cooperation submit which the Minister should have ordinarily addressed if he had gone, had time to fly back to attend the World Maritime Day” an obviously unhappy stakeholder interjected.

Checks by our reporter revealed that the Minister had busy schedules during the weeks in July and August 2024 when he was actively involved in maritime activities to the delight of stakeholders.

However, the observant stakeholders claimed that they started to notice the gradual withdrawal of the minister from public functions at the beginning of September 2024 till the end of the month when his representatives held forth for him at all events.

“From the beginning of September up till the moment am talking with you, we haven’t seen the minister at the crucial public functions which raise our concerns” another industry operator volunteered.

A perusal of the minister’s X official page and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, which normally give detailed coverage of his official activities, showed that the minister’s last public outing was on August 27th, 2024, when he attended the 2024 International Business Conference and Expo organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

On August 24th, Oyetola attended the signing of the Agreement on Minimum Conditions of Service for Labour in Nigeria’s Shipping industry.

On July 13th, the minister attended Chief Olusegun Osoba’s 85th birthday and book launch.

On July 11th, he was at his Alma Mater, the University of Lagos, as the Keynote speaker during the institution’s Employment Clinic Education to Empowerment Transition Programme (EETP) career event tagged ” Blue Career Insights”

The Minister was also at the 17th Seminar for Judges organized by the Nigerian Shippers’Council on July 9th-July 11th, 2024 in Abuja.

On July 4th, Oyetola personally commissioned NPA’s High Tech Marine Crafts in Lagos.

On July 3rd, he hosted the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, in his Office in Abuja.

The minister’s above itinerary clearly showed that he was a busy man who was always engaged in industry activities.

It was against the background of this realization that there are now heightened concerns about his less public appearance in recent times.

More worrisome, according to the concerned stakeholders, was the absence of the minister at the 79th edition of UNGA in New York.

He was at the 2023 edition of the global conference where he accompanied President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He also addressed the 2023 Atlantic Cooperation submit chaired by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

His engagement with Dr Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank and Governor Rahman of Kwara state was generously captured on his X page.

As was the usual practice of the minister, his attendance at the 78th UNGA in 2023 was flamboyant and captured on his official X page, including the official X page of the ministry.

Even, his Special Assistant on Media, Ismail Omipidan, made a public spectacle of the minister’s departure to 2023 UNGA on his Facebook account page with copious pictures.

The absence of such a flamboyant display of the activities at the 79th UNGA in New York on the Minister’s X page raises the suspicion of discerning stakeholders that the minister did not attend the all-important 2024 UNGA which heightens their anxiety over the whereabout of the the former Osun state governor.

The suspicion and anxiety of industry operators were hinged on the fact that it was the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime and Administration Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola, who addressed the 2024 Atlantic Cooperation submit held on the sideline of the 79th UNGA.

The same summit which was addressed by Oyetola last year.

The Atlantic Cooperation submit, a ministerial gathering, was curiously addressed by Mobereola, the head of an agency under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

“If he(Oyetola) was there, Mobereola wouldn’t have been the one to address that important submit” an operator said.

Also, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed through a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) that a lean size of Nigeria’s delegation should go to 2024 UNGA to reflect the mood of the nation.

As a result, government officials whose office have direct relevance to the topics of the global event were only allowed to go.

Consequently, the advance party who welcomed Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Federal government Head of Nigeria’s delegation to the global event, was on hand to receive the Vice president when his presidential plane touched down at John F Kennedy International Airport on Sunday, September 22nd, 2024.

The advance party included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar who coordinated the visit, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Director General of the National International Technology Development Agency(NITDA) , Kashifu Inuwa as well as Nigerian Diplomats and UN officials.

Observers claimed that Oyetola should have been among the delegates due to the Atlantic Cooperation submit which he expected to participate which is relevant to the global event that could have warranted his attendance according to the Presidential order.

The attendance of Dr Tijani, the Minister of Communication and Inuwa, DG, NITDA was hinged on their participation in the SDG Media Zone meeting convened by the UN Department of Global Communications held on the sideline of the global conference.

The same criterion qualifies Oyetola to attend the conference because of the Atlantic Cooperation submit which he was supposed to have addressed.

However, stakeholders said they were worried that the minister was missing at such a critical global event.

However, Mohammed Tahir Zakari, the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, acknowledged the absence of the minister at recent industry events, including the 79th edition of UNGA.

“Indeed it is true the minister has not been seen at public events in recent times but I am not in a position to tell you where he is.

” All I know is that the minister is hale and hearty. He is ok” the ministry’s official spokesman said.

But in another breath, Zakari claimed that Oyetola was on official assignment outside the country, but not at UNGA.

” He is on an official assignment outside the country. That is all that I can say.

”Anywhere the minister is, he is on official assignment” Zakari claimed.

When he was asked why the minister was not at UNGA and if his purported official assignment outside the country was more important than the global event in New York, Zakari retorted in a menacing voice ”My friend, I cannot answer all these questions you are asking me.

” I am not in a position to tell you more than what I have told you. “

He however acknowledged that the minister had been having quality representations at the public events he was supposed to attend which he believed was normal.

He however expressed gratitude to the stakeholders for their concerns over the whereabouts of the minister.

Beyond the levity the official spokesman of the ministry took the unknown whereabouts of the minister, some angry stakeholders said they are looking forward to the impending cabinet reshuffle by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which will see non-performing ministers lose their job.

” Oyetola has not provided the expected quality leadership in the maritime industry since he assumed office a year ago.

” Can you imagine a minister who is supposed to provide quality leadership and direction to his field lieutenants now on AWOL and remains incommunicado, leaving the industry on autopilot.

”He also refused to avail us of his performance as a minister when he clocked one year in office in August”, the agitated industry operator said.

” If the assessment by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, on whose recommendations the cabinet reshuffle will be based, is anything to go by, Ministers like Oyetola should be among the causalities” another angry stakeholder blurted out his frustration at what he described as uninspiring leadership of Oyetola in the last one year in office.

It could be recalled that the presidency has confirmed the resolve of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reshuffle his 47-member cabinet soonest.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who made the planned cabinet known, the exercise would be evidence-based.

Besides, the presidency stated that Tinubu would be aided in his decision by public opinion that has been empirically extracted.

Onanuga, who was in the company of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, said there was no timeline as to when Tinubu would reshuffle his cabinet which was inaugurated in August 2023.

He disclosed that the president had indicated his plan to reshuffle his cabinet, but said he could not be categorical about when he will do it.

“I don’t have any timeline. The president has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and he will do it. I don’t know whether he’s going to do it before October 1st, but he will surely do it. So that’s what I will say. He has not given us any timeline he’ll do it, but he will do it. He has expressed his plan he wants to do it.”
Shedding more light on the planned cabinet shake-up, Ogra explained that the President would be guided by an empirical process, making reference to the performance indicator, which is being coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman.

All the pictures are from the Minister’s attendance of 2023 UNGA

Related Topics:featured Where is Oyetola?

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Headlines

May Day: Mobereola salutes maritime workers for passion, dedication to building virile industry

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Director – General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has saluted the courage , passion and dedication of maritime workers to building strong and virile industry.

In his message at the Workers’ day on May 1st, 2026, the NIMASA DG extolled the virtues of workers and acknowledged the distinguished service of various stakeholders whose efforts he noted continue to significantly contribute to the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.

Dr. Mobereola, while wishing stakeholders a Happy Workers’ Day said “to all the amazing officers and stakeholders in the maritime sector who bring their passion and expertise to work daily.

“Thank you for your dedication and invaluable contributions”.

He emphasized that as a regulator, the Agency remains committed to its oversight function of regulating maritime labour activities in the industry in line with extant instruments and the expectations of the theme of the 2026 Workers’ Day, which focuses on safety, dignity and productivity.

Customs

Kaila, Seme Customs CAC, seeks collaboration with stakeholders to achieve seemless trade along border corridor

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The new Area Controller of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, has reached out to traditional rulers and sister agencies at the border communities to ensure the achievement of his mandate of detection, determent of smuggling, revenue generation and trade facilitation along the border corridor.

To achieve these objectives, Comptroller Kaila went on tour of the communities within the border corridor where he met and sought for the support and cooperation of major critical stakeholders, including the traditional rulers and sister agencies.

According to him, his objective was to eradicate trade hindrances affecting free movement of goods and services along the Lagos-Abidjan business corridor.

Speaking at the Palace of Oba Akran of Badagry Kingdom, the Customs Area Controller condoled with the royal family and entire people of Badagry kingdom on the passing away of HRM De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I who was a well recognized traditional ruler across the border communities.

“”The purpose of my visit is to introduce myself as the Area Controller of Seme Command and to equally seek your royal blessing and support to achieve the core mandate of the service.

“Our priority remains to generate revenue, facilitate trade, and suppress smuggling.

“And we in the Customs believe that without due support and co-operation from traditional rulers, we can not have effective performance of our functions as Customs officers” he said

The King Regent, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, who described Kaila as the son of the soil, added that “We have listened to your request.

” Know that Badagry is a very peaceful town, and we will keep collaborating with you in safeguarding our borders and in promoting legitimate trade, ” he stated.

Comptroller Kaila also visited the Onibereko of Ibereko Awori-Kingdom, where the monarch, Oba Israel Okoya, signifies his commitment to fostering the service relationship with residents living within the border communities

“I welcome you to Badagry and be rest assured that I will always talk to my people whenever the need is required.

” In our town, our youth does not engage in illegalities as I have no other choice than to assist you in achieving the government mandate, ” he mentioned

While at the Palace of Alapa of Apa Kingdom, the king HRM Oba Oyekan Ajose Ilufemiloye commended and described the CAC, Comptroller Kaila as a professional, seasoned and well respected officer as described by indigenes of border communities.

“I promise you that I will always assist you in my area for anything that you need.

“Our border here has been peaceful because our youth always listen to the elders, and I know with your presence here, things will change for the better, ” he said

In his efforts to consolidate on existing synergy between sister security agencies, Kaila also visited Headquarters of 653 Nigerian Air force base, Ahanve-Badagry.

The Commanding Officer, Group Captain Hungruy Medugu,expressed the readiness of the formation to always support the command in achieving its mandate.

“Our collaboration has been key to various successes we have recorded in our area of responsibility.

” Your presence here strengthens existing bonds of inter-agency collaboration between both Services, and we will not take it for granted ,” he said

The Area Controller then ended his familirisation tour with seeking for mutual cooperation with a visit to the Republic of Benin Police office, showing his readiness to eradicate hindrances affecting the free movement of goods and services across the border.

Headlines

Opeifa decries encroachment on NRC properties across the country

— praises collaboration with Abia, Enugu govts.

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has reiterated his displeasure over the widespread practice of encroachment on the properties of the Nigerian Railways Corporation across the country, warning that such action would not be tolerated by his administration.

Opeifa was speaking during the separate meetings he recently had with the governments of both Abia and Enugu states.

Represented by the Railway District Manager, Eastern District, Mr. Agwonye Francis Ejike, the NRC boss quickly condemned the occupation of the Corporation’s right- of – way by squatters in Umuahia, while correcting the wrongly- held belief that the Railway is defunct.

Opeifa however applauded the cordial and collaborative relationship between the Corporation and the governments of both Abia and Enugu.

According to him, such productive harmony can only yield even greater positive results for the benefit of the people.

During the Umuahia meeting, Dr. Opeifa strongly praised the Abia State Government for its crucial assistance in clearing the NRC’s right-of-way within Umuahia.

He reiterated unequivocally that no one is permitted to build any structure on railway property without obtaining express approval from his office.

Appealing directly to the public, he urged for greater patience, stressing that the plans for the critical track extension from Aba, through Umuahia to Enugu and beyond, remain very much on course.

Responding on behalf of the Abia State Government, Mr. Kingsley Agomoh stated that the State Government is actively engaging all stakeholders by providing alternative, seamless locations for those currently conducting business on the railway right-of-way.

He further revealed that the state government has already finalized plans to plant trees along the route, creating a leisurely and aesthetically conducive environment for relaxation, replacing previous commercial activities.

The high-powered team then embarked on an extensive inspection of the alternative relocation site for displaced persons; the demolition site where iron barrier installation is progressing; the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal; the site for the new Umuahia Railway Station; and the route for the proposed link road passing through the existing railway station.

The meeting also explored the provision of a temporary location for the Railway Police and the PTO, pending the construction of the new Umuahia Station, which is designed to include a police station and other NRC offices.

The same impactful message was delivered to Enugu State, where the Commissioner of Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozoh (representing the State Government), equally assured the NRC MD of the Enugu State Government’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with the Corporation to achieve its aims and objectives.

Describing Dr. Opeifa as a personal friend from their private sector days, Dr. Ozoh lauded him as a leader who “knows perfectly well what he is doing.”

He further assured the NRC that the Enugu State Government will actively assist in demolishing any obstruction on the Corporation’s right-of-way, stressing that the state eagerly awaits the flag-off to recommence construction of the rail line from Aba to Enugu and beyond.