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‘Prioritise equipment provision at dry ports’

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Amaechi unhappy over CCECC slow pace of work on Lagos -Ibadan Rail project

…As Air Force Helicopter crashes***

Importers, exporters and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have urged the Federal Government to prioritise the provision of scanners and other equipment at the new Inland Dry Port (IDP) in Kakuri, Kaduna State.

They said this became necessary because of the rise in illegal arms import and insecurity in the North.

Speaking with The Nation after the inauguration of the IDP by President Muhammadu Buhari, ANLCA National Publicity Secretary Dr Kayode Farito gave kudos to the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) for championing the establishment of IDPs across the country.

He, however, said the Federal Government and the concession-aire of the dry port must  be fast in providing scanners and  cargo delivery equipment, adding that non-availability of such equipment would result in the 100 per cent physical examination of cargoes by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Subjecting containers to 100 per cent examination by the Customs at the IDPS, he said, could compromise national security.

Besides, he said the non-provision of scanners and other equipment would affect the government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.

Operators of the Kaduna IDP and others, ANLCA said, must ensure that their equipment were  ‘’automated” to meet the requirements of the Executive Order on Ease of doing Business.

He said automation was necessary to drive the reform in the sector to attract more cargoes to the IDPs.

According to him, automation would enhance efficiency and reduce waste. He added that openness would help the system and process of cargo clearance.

The ANLCA chief said people would be attracted to the inland dry ports with increased volumes of cargo, which would then enhance revenue generation.

The group gave kudos to NSC for introducing initiatives that were in tandem with global best practices to ensure that both sea and inland dry ports remain efficient, transparent and accountable.

NSC, he said, should create a platform that would accommodate all government agencies at the port for easy transaction and assist other agencies and terminal operators to fashion a robust template for operations at the inland ports and the sea ports. Under the new arrangement, revenue leakages, must be blocked while improving operational revenue.

He commended the facility at the Kaduna dry port and urged both the importers and exporters in the north to patronise the dry port.

At the opening of the dry port, President Buhari said the dry port was the first.

He lauded the management of the Shippers Council for initiating the project, urging importers, exporters, seaport terminal operators, clearing agents, haulage drivers and other stakeholders to make use of its world-class facilities.

The dry port is an inland intermodal terminal connected by road, rail and air to a seaport and operate as a centre for trans-shipment of sea cargo to inland destinations.

President Buhari said he was delighted to be at the forum because the port will serve as port of origin for exporters and destination for importers, generate employment, decongest the Lagos port, contribute to the easy of doing business and boost the economy.

With the inauguration of the dry port, the President said, the congestion and gridlock at the Lagos port would be eliminated.

While also commending the Shippers Council for promoting the dry port, Amaechi said the Kaduna dry port was gazetted on May 26, 2015 by the Federal Governmental as  a port of origin and port of destination.

The port, he said, was the first port to be licensed to receive cargo from Lagos seaports.

The idea to establish the dry port, he said, was informed by the need to decongest the Lagos ports and provide relief for the busy Apapa road.

He urged shippers from the north  to do business at the port, rather of  travelling to Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar to receive their cargo.

He urged the shippers from Kaduna and other parts of the North to take advantage of the merits at the port for revenue generation and wealth creation.

The port, according to Amaechi, will facilitate delivery of cargo from importers and exporters;  fast-track transport development through the hinterland, improves transport infrastructure and decongest the seaports, facilitate cargo delivery to hinterlands and other landlocked Nigeria’s neighbours, such as Chad, Niger, Northern Camerou, and Bukina Faso.

Amaechi said the dry port project was conceived as part of a solution to the problem of hinterland shipers’inadequate access to seaports and frequent congestion.

The minister also said frequent congestion at seaports led to loss of cargo in transit on land mode, urging stakeholders to make use of the facility.

Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru el Rufai, thanked the President for taken off time to open the port,  assuring Nigerians that the facility at the port would be put into good use.

The project, he said, was a tripartite arrangement between the Federal, the state and the concession- aire.

In an interview with The Nation, NSC Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hassan Bello said he was happy that President Buhari was in Kaduna to open the world-class project. He lauded the the Kaduna government for the successful upgrading of the bonded terminal to a Inland Dry Port with full status of Port of Origin and final destination.

Another stakeholder, Mr Abulwaheed Onigbanjo, praised the standard of work at the terminal. He called on importers, exporters and other stakeholders to patronise the port.

Also, an importer Sadiq Salau  commended the promoters of the dry port.

“In China or Hong Kong, you can have your container released to you in two hours once it arrives the port and this is at a cost equivalent of between N5,000 and N10,000 whereas in our seaports, for your container to be released, it takes several days to weeks and costs several hundreds of thousands of naira or more than a million naira in some cases, despite the government’s effort at reformation.

“In Asia, everything works systematically and you can plan successfully. But here, there are lots of policy somersaults; things are not organised for sustainable growth and most importers in Nigeria find it difficult to cope with this kind of system after experiencing the best way things are done in other countries and that is why we are clamoring that the tariffs at the inland dry ports be made attractive through the deployment of all necessary equipment to facilitate trade,” he said.

One of the promoters of the dry port, Tope Borishade, said the port can handle 29,000 TEU of containers yearly in the first phase and may double it when fully completed.

“It is also estimated to generate 5000 direct employment at the commencement of operation,” Borishade said.

In the meantime, the Nigerian Air Force has announced the crash of one of its helicopters while on a mission in the ongoing counter insurgency operations in the Northeast.

The Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya however said no live was lost in the mishap.

AVM Adesanya said in a statement: “​A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mi-17 Helicopter has suffered a mishap while undertaking a mission in the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North East.

“The incident, which occurred today, 8 January 2018, resulted in significant damage to the helicopter. There was, however, no loss of lives as a result of the incident.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has immediately directed the constitution of a board of inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident, in line with global best practices.

“The NAF continues to solicit the understanding and support of the general populace as it daily strives to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians”.

Meanwhile a new Acting Director Defence Information Brig. General John Agim has resumed work at the Defence Headquareters. He replaced Major General John Enenche who is now Commandant Army War College, Nigeria.

According to a statement signed by Wing Commander Ademosu on behalf of the Director of Defence Information, Brig General Agim until his appointment was Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations.

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Accidents

FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

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FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command, has confirmed the death of six persons in an accident involving multiple vehicles on Monday at Oke Eleshin, Amuloko area of the State.

The FRSC Public Education Officer in the State, Mayowa Odewo, told newsmen in Ibadan on Monday in a message that five persons were injured in the accident.

Odewo said eleven persons were involved in the accident, while the five vehicles involved were two tricycles, two trucks and a Sienna vehicle.

He said the five injured persons had been taken to Amuloko City Hospital by good Samaritans, while the corpses were taken to University College Hospital, Ibadan, before the arrival of FRSC personnel.

Odewo urged drivers to adhere strictly to road safety rules and regulations to reduce avoidable crashes.

An eyewitness revealed that among the dead were pupils and a mother to one of the pupils.

The witness said that a trailer appeared to have lost control and rammed into the vehicles.”

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Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

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Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

…As Osun accident claims 4 lives – FRSC

Two children were confirmed dead in a lone accident involving a Toyota Camry at Kere, Itori on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

Mrs Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Okpe noted that the accident occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

She explained that the accident was caused by speeding, saying that the car marked AGL 36 JA was overloaded with passengers.

“A total of seven men, one male child and a female child were involved in the crash.

“One male child and one female child were killed in the accident while others sustained different forms of injury in the crash,” she said.

The FRSC spokesperson added that the injured victims were taken to the General Hospital, Ifo, while the corpses were deposited at the morgue.

She advised motorists to always adhere to traffic rules and regulations. 

In another development, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osun Command, says four persons lost their lives in Sunday’s accident that occurred on the Osun-Ondo expressway.

Mr Taofeeq Sokumbi, Osun Sector Commander, disclosed this in an interview in Osogbo.

Sokumbi said the accident occurred opposite Joseph Ayo Babalola University due to excessive speeding on the part of the vehicles involved, leading to the death of four passengers.

He warned motorists against dangerous driving which could lead to loss of lives and property.

According to him, the accident was due to the carelessness of the driver, who knew the danger that lay ahead due to excessive speeding.

He said the injured persons had been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment with corpses of the dead victims deposited at a morgue.

Sokumbi, however, warned that the command would not hesitate to deal with any road offender violating the state’s safety laws.

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Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

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Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

 Pandemonium engulfed Ekololu, a community in the Surulere area of Lagos, on Monday night when the back tyres of a tanker transporting fuel to a Conoil filling station burst into flames near the station.

The News Correspondent who resides in the area reports that the explosion of the tyres and the ensuing billows of smoke made residents living near the filling station flee for safety.

Observations by the newsmen revealed that staff from the filling station hurried out with fire extinguishers to combat the fire, which erupted around 9:00 p.m., just a few meters from the station’s entrance.

Emergency responders, including Federal and State Fire Services, as well as the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), swiftly arrived at the scene following distress calls from the community.

The ill-fated tanker that caused the pandemonium

Upon arrival, the emergency teams assessed the unregistered truck carrying the petrol and raised concerns about safety measures while questioning the driver and filling station management.

They provided guidance and oversaw the safe discharge of the fuel using a long hose to transfer the petroleum product from the stranded tanker into the filling station’s reservoirs.

The Station Manager of the Conoil filling station, Mr Kunle Oniya, informed the emergency responders that the station possessed 20 fire extinguishers, which were promptly utilised to contain the fire and prevent its spread.

The incident led to a traffic gridlock, with vehicles unable to move in the area for nearly an hour.

Some residents shared their experiences of the ordeal with the newsmen.

A resident, Malam Shehu, recounted abandoning his dinner upon witnessing the fiery explosion.

He expressed gratitude that the fire was contained before causing further damage.

Another resident, known as Iya Abigail, described hearing people shouting while she was playing games, prompting her to flee in confusion wearing her nightclothes.

She prayed for continued safety in the community.

An elderly resident, who preferred anonymity, urged filling stations in the area to prioritise safety and the welfare of residents.

She noted that filling stations typically had insurance against fire and other disasters and suggested extending such coverage to vulnerable buildings in their host communities.

Recalling the chaotic events, she said that she heard the sound of an emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood before hastily evacuating her home.

“I was watching TV and when the incident occurred, I had to blow the emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood but I quickly dressed up before running out of the house,” she said. 

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