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Piracy, Set To Ignite New Inflation – Umar

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  • As Buhari vows to treat pipeline vandals like Boko Haram members

Insurance cost on shipping shot up outrageously yesterday in Nigeria   as news broke that pirates have again, attacked another ship in Nigerian water; this time,  a tanker waiting to load Nigerian crude.

Nigerian Ship-owners also reacted swiftly yesterday, to the hike in the rising waves of piracy and subsequent hike in insurance cost,  concluding a meeting they held at the Lagos Federal Palace Hotel with an urgent call to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), to buckle up, and contain the current crimes in the country’s waters, to justify the “Protection money”  the agency is collecting from ship owners.

“The NIMASA must meet and collaborate more with the Nigerian Navy to do whatever can be done to contain the present rise in piracy”,  the Vice President, Nigerian Ship-owners Association (NISA),  Aminu Umar declared yesterday,  lamenting that he was yet to calculate by what percentage the Insurance Companies were hiking their covers,  sequel to the yesterday’s armed attack against a tanker waiting to receive crude, in Nigerian water.

“This is a serious issue.  It is not in the best interest of either the country’s economy or the ship owners”,  he indicated, stressing that if another tanker is attacked again,  it could actually spell doom for the country.

He underscored his position with the fact that Nigeria’s economy depends at least 90 percent on crude sales, and wondering what would happen if the foreign ships, out of fears, declined to come and load crude.

The NISA chieftain affirmed that while the stakeholders would work towards supporting the NIMASA to find a lasting solution, the masses would no doubt, as the end consumers be made to bear whatever emanates as additional cost, on the issue of goods clearing, an indirect confirmation that a new inflationary trend is most probably around the corner, with the already over stressed masses, being further made to pay more.

In the meantime, all eyes are now focused on the NIMASA, as the sole collector of the Protection Money from ship owners, to synergize more with the Navy and other relevant agencies, particularly in terms of intelligence sharing towards a timely curtailing of the current rising waves in piracy.

In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday threatened that his administration would descend heavily on oil and gas pipelines vandals as well as other saboteurs the same way the nation’s Armed Forces are dealing with members of the Boko Haram sect.

He also said instead of the sensible ones to have realised the sincerity in his anti-corruption war, some people are still daring his government. He said he would not spare anybody in the anti-graft war.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke in Beijing during a meeting he had with members of the Nigerian Community in China. Buhari who is on a one week official visit to China warned vandals and saboteurs blowing up oil and gas installations in Nigeria to desist immediately or face the  same drastic action being taken against Boko Haram  by the Armed Forces.

He reaffirmed his  total commitment to winning the war against corruption, saying that corruption was an arch-enemy of the nation which has destroyed the lives of many Nigerians. The President said, “I ask for your support to make our vision of stamping out corruption a reality in the shortest possible time. Whoever is caught will not be spared.

“The government is still being dared, but those who are sensible should have learnt a lesson. Those who are mad, let them continue in their madness. “I am aware that in the last two weeks, the national grid collapsed a number of times. I hope this message will reach the vandals  and saboteurs who are blowing up pipelines and installations. “We will deal with them the way we dealt with Boko Haram.”

Buhari assured the Nigerian Community that the Federal Government was working very hard to overcome current national challenges and deliver on its promise of a better Nigeria. “Clearly, our vision of a diversified and inclusive economy will not be achieved overnight. It will be a long, and in some cases, painful journey. I am very confident we will get there. But we must start that journey now.

“We hear proposals for short cuts or quick wins. However, all we need to do is look at our history to know that there are no quick wins or short cuts in fixing Nigeria. The many decades of damage and destruction cannot be repaired overnight.

“The reform programme we are implementing is not because oil prices are below $45 per barrel today. It is because when oil prices were over $100 per barrel, majority of Nigerians were still suffering. They were simply forgotten and left behind. So, our reforms are to ensure that the majority of Nigerians are not left behind,” the President told the gathering.

Buhari also assured the Nigerian community that his administration was fulfilling its promise to improve security across the country. “When we came into office in 2015,  Boko Haram insurgents occupied 14 Local Government Areas. Today, I am pleased to say the insurgents have been routed out of these local governments and their capacity to fight as a force has been significantly degraded. “We will continue working hard to ensure that the group is eliminated. This is achievable. And we will not settle for anything less,” he said.

Additional report from Punch.

 

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

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…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.

Mike Igbokwe (SAN)

“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. 

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

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

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Wind Farm Vessel Collision Leaves 15 Injured

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…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

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