FG, Turkey may clash over Nigerian students’ arrest

Published

8 years ago

October 3, 2016

As Lai Mohammed says, FG committed to rescue Chibok girls, Despite tantrums by Shekau

A diplomatic row may be brewing between Nigeria and Turkey following the arrest and deportation of some Nigerian students from Istanbul by the Turkish police.

Rukkaya Usman, one of the Nigerian students deported from the country, said the Turkish government did not give a reason for the action.

Usman, a final year student of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Melikseh, told TheCable on Saturday that she arrived in Turkey at 8am on September 26, but that she was detained at the airport for about 10 hours after which she was placed on a plane and flown back to Nigeria.

“As I got to the airport, at the immigration; they (immigration officers) collected my passport and resident permit. They started to ask me questions like: ‘what are you studying?’ ‘What’s your father’s name?’ They took my passport. This was on September 26. I asked what was happening. But they said they didn’t know, that it was a new law, that they were sending me back to my country,” Usman narrated.

But the Federal Government said it would summon the Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, and demand an explanation for the deportation of the students.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sola Enikanolaiye, informed our correspondent over the telephone on Sunday, that the government would summon Cakil after verifying reports of the deportation of the students.

He said, “I am hearing the news of the deportation for the first time from you, but I will follow up to get the facts and we are summoning him (Turkish ambassador) again to demand an explanation (for the deportation.)”

The Federal Government had on Friday summoned the envoy over report that some Nigerian students were being detained by the police at the Istanbul Airport.

The government had insisted on the release of the detained students and directed the ambassador to ensure the safety and well-being of the students whose school, Fathi University, was among the 2,099 schools shut down by the Turkish government for links with Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the failed July 15, 2016 coup in the country.

Enikanolaiye stated that the Nigerian mission official in Ankara, had been directed to meet the Turkish government over the issue, stressing that the students must be released immediately.

He explained that the MFA, during the meeting with the Turkish envoy last Friday, rejected some visa conditions the Turkish government imposed on the detained students.

The Permanent Secretary said, “We summoned the Turkish ambassador to the ministry on Friday and demanded the immediate release of the students. We also rejected the condition imposed on the students that they should return to Nigeria and obtain a fresh visa in line with their admission to a new university. We insisted that they must be issued the new visa in Turkey there.”

Enikanolaiye, however, noted that the detained students were not up to 50 as earlier reported, adding that a senior Nigerian mission official in Ankara, had been directed to follow up with the Turkish government on Nigeria’s demands.

The students were said to have been held and their passports seized by the police upon arrival at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul.

The detention of the Nigerians, who were mainly students of Fathi University, one of the private universities in Turkey, was believed to be in connection with the failed coup in the country in July, 2016.

The Fathi University is among the 2,099 schools, dormitories and universities shut down in the wake of the failed coup in Turkey on account of their alleged links to the accused mastermind of the putsch, Fethullah Gulen.

Cakil had in the aftermath of the coup, requested the Federal Government to close down 17 Turkish schools in Nigeria for alleged links to Gulen, but the latter ignored his request.

In the meantime, the Federal Government said weekend that despite the tantrums of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, it was committed to rescuing the Chibok school girls abducted in 2014. The government also said it had the same goal as the BringBackOurGirls group, which is the safe return of the girls.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who made the assertion on a special programme to mark Nigeria’s 56th independence anniversary on Channels Television on Saturday night, said the federal government’s commitment to bringing back the girls was not in doubt.

‘’I want the Bring Back Our Girls to understand that this government appreciates what they are doing. We are all batting on the same side and we are as concerned as they are and we are well ready to work with you.

‘’Clearly we need a closer working relationship so that there will be no communication gap. Clearly, I do not see the objective of the BBOG group as different from ours,’’ the Minister, who appeared side by side with the BBOG Co-Convener, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, added.

While reiterating the President’s statement that there would be no closure to the Boko Haram issue until the Chibok girls were released and returned safely to their families, noted that apart from parents of the girls, no other individual or group had a higher stake in the release of the girls than the Federal Government. Alhaji Mohammed said there was no contradiction between the fact that Boko Haram had been defeated and the fact that the girls remained in captivity. “There shall be no closure on the Boko Haram issue until the Chibok girls are released and returned to the safety of their families. I think that does not contradict what Mr President has said, that we have defeated Boko Haram.

‘’Of course, anybody who is familiar with the philosophy of insurgency will understand that it is not the regular kind of war where you sign an armistice and the guns become silent forever, but rather, it is a kind of guerrilla war.

‘’But what Mr President said, which cannot be contradicted, is that as of May 29, 2015, when he took over, we had a chunk of our territory in the hands of Boko Haram. As at 2015, a part of the North East could not be accessed because of activities of the terrorists, but the same cannot be said about the area today,” he said.

The minister said it is necessary to situate the Chibok saga within the proper context, noting that the girls had been in captivity for over 400 days before the Buhari administration came into power, yet there have been attempts by the government to establish contact with Boko Haram to secure their release (but) the fictionalisation within the terror group made it difficult for the deal to go through.

“I want us to put things in correct perspectives. Yes, the issue of the kidnap or abduction of the Chibok girls is one that should affect everybody, it is not out of place for anyone to be emotional about it but at the same time we must be rational in our approach to the issue.”

‘’Yes, today might be 901 days since the girls were abducted but it must also be understood that these girls were abducted 400 days before this government came to power, this must not be forgotten and by the time we came in, the trails had gone cold. The first 48 hours after any kidnapping constitute the most critical period.”

Punch with additional report from Vanguard

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WAIVER CESSATION: Igbokwe urges NIMASA to evolve stronger collaboration with Ships owners

Published

5 years ago

April 13, 2019

Maritime First

…Stresses the need for timely disbursement of N44.6billion CVFF***

Highly revered Nigerian Maritime Lawyer, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Igbokwe has urged the Nigeria Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) to partner with ship owners and relevant association in the industry to evolving a more vibrant merchant shipping and cabotage trade regime.

Igbokwe gave the counsel during his paper presentation at the just concluded two-day stakeholders’ meeting on Cabotage waiver restrictions, organized by NIMASA.

“NIMASA and shipowners should develop merchant shipping including cabotage trade. A good start is to partner with the relevant associations in this field, such as the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Oil Trade Group & Maritime Trade Group of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

“A cursory look at their vision, mission and objectives, show that they are willing to improve the maritime sector, not just for their members but for stakeholders in the maritime economy and the country”.

Adding that it is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a through briefing and regular consultation with ships owners, in other to have insight on the challenges facing the ship owners.

“It is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a thorough briefing and regular consultations with shipowners, to receive insight on the challenges they face, and how the Agency can assist in solving them and encouraging them to invest and participate in the maritime sector, for its development.

“NIMASA should see them as partners in progress because, if they do not invest in buying ships and registering them in Nigeria, there would be no Nigerian-owned ships in its Register and NIMASA would be unable to discharge its main objective.

The Maritime lawyer also urged NIMASA to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF)that currently stands at about N44.6 billion.

“Lest it be forgotten, what is on the lips of almost every shipowner, is the need to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (the CVFF’), which was established by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003. It was established to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity, by providing financial assistance to Nigerian citizens and shipping companies wholly owned by Nigerian operating in the domestic coastal shipping, to purchase and maintain vessels and build shipping capacity.

“Research shows that this fund has grown to about N44.6billion; and that due to its non-disbursement, financial institutions have repossessed some vessels, resulting in a 43% reduction of the number of operational indigenous shipping companies in Nigeria, in the past few years.

“Without beating around the bush, to promote indigenous maritime development, prompt action must be taken by NIMASA to commence the disbursement of this Fund to qualified shipowners pursuant to the extant Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (“CVFF”) Regulations.

“Indeed, as part of its statutory functions, NIMASA is to enforce and administer the provisions of the Cabotage Act 2003 and develop and implement policies and programmes which will facilitate the growth of local capacity in ownership, manning and construction of ships and other maritime infrastructure. Disbursing the CVFF is one of the ways NIMASA can fulfill this mandate.

“To assist in this task, there must be collaboration between NIMASA, financial institutions, the Minister of Transportation, as contained in the CVFF Regulations that are yet to be implemented”, the legal guru highlighted further.

He urged the agency to create the right environment for its stakeholders to build on and engender the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders.

“Lastly, which is the main reason why we are all here, cessation of ministerial waivers on some cabotage requirements, which I believe is worth applause in favour of NIMASA.

“This is because it appears that the readiness to obtain/grant waivers had made some of the vessels and their owners engaged in cabotage trade, to become complacent and indifferent in quickly ensuring that they updated their capacities, so as not to require the waivers.

“The cessation of waivers is a way of forcing the relevant stakeholders of the maritime sector, to find workable solutions within, for maritime development and fill the gaps in the local capacities in 100% Nigerian crewing, ship ownership, and ship building, that had necessitated the existence of the waivers since about 15 years ago, when the Cabotage Act came into being.

“However, NIMASA must ensure that the right environment is provided for its stakeholders to build and possess the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders. Or better still, that they are solved within the next 5 years of its intention to stop granting waivers”, he further explained.

Breaking News: The Funeral Rites of Matriarch C. Ogbeifun is Live

Published

6 years ago

March 7, 2019

Maritime First

The Burial Ceremony of Engr. Greg Ogbeifun’s mother is live. Watch on the website: www.maritimefirstnewspaper.com and on Youtube: Maritimefirst Newspaper.

Wind Farm Vessel Collision Leaves 15 Injured

Published

6 years ago

February 20, 2019

Maritime First

…As Valles Steamship Orders 112,000 dwt Tanker from South Korea***

A wind farm supply vessel and a cargo ship collided in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday leaving 15 injured.

The Cyprus-flagged 80-meter general cargo ship Raba collided with Denmark-flagged 31-meter wind farm supply vessel World Bora near Rügen Island, about three nautical miles off the coast of Hamburg.

Many of those injured were service engineers on the wind farm vessel, and 10 were seriously hurt.

They were headed to Iberdrola’s 350MW Wikinger wind farm. Nine of the people on board the World Bora were employees of Siemens Gamesa, two were employees of Iberdrola and four were crew.

The cause of the incident is not yet known, and no pollution has been reported.

After the collision, the two ships were able to proceed to Rügen under their own power, and the injured were then taken to hospital.

Lifeboat crews from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service tended to them prior to their transport to hospital via ambulance and helicopter.

“Iberdrola wishes to thank the rescue services for their diligence and professionalism,” the company said in a statement.

In the meantime, the Hong Kong-based shipowner Valles Steamship has ordered a new 112,000 dwt crude oil tanker from South Korea’s Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering.

Sumitomo is to deliver the Aframax to Valles Steamship by the end of 2020, according to data provided by Asiasis.

The newbuild Aframax will join seven other Aframaxes in Valles Steamship’s fleet. Other ships operated by the company include Panamax bulkers and medium and long range product tankers.

The company’s most-recently delivered unit is the 114,426 dwt Aframax tanker Seagalaxy. The naming and delivery of the tanker took place in February 2019, at Namura Shipbuilding’s yard in Japan.

Maritime Executive with additional report from World Maritime News