General
Onwuka Calls for Dredging of Rivers Port
By Bon Peters
One of the aspirants for the chairmanship position of Area 1 chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr Emmanuel Ebere Onwuka, has called for the dredging of Rivers Port.
In a chat with journalists on Port Harcourt, Mr Onwuka said the shallow draft of the Rivers Port channel was affecting the number of vessels calling at the ports.
According to him, Rivers Port can only accommodate lighter vessels, especially those carrying bulk instead of big vessels with containerized Cargoes.
Mr Onwuka who scored Rivers Port location high, wondered why the government has not deemed it fit to dredge the port and improve port facilities like the expansion of port access road and other infrastructures.
“The location of this Port is good, banks are close here, in short most of the things we need to ensure a seamless maritime business is here but government is busy talking of developing Lekki Port, Badagry Port and others instead of improving on the one our fore fathers handed over to us.
“I am not against them developing new ports, but the Ministry of Marine and Blue economy should look towards this direction,” he submitted.
Continuing, Mr Onwuka said, “Apart from the expansion done around the Qay areas by Port and Terminal Management Company, this port, which is a premier port, has been like that over the years.
“The other day, I went to Onne to clear a container, which ordinarily should have been here, imagine before the consignment could reach its destination, most of the items like glasses have broken into pieces due to bad road.
“The government should help us and by so doing, the federal government would boost its revenue generation base.”
Emphasizing on what he intends to do if elected, he said, “We will market the port actively with other stakeholders.”
Speaking on how he intends to achieve this, he said, “We will engage all the relevant stakeholders like Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, the Mines Industry and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), importers and shipping companies, among others.
“My team, the idealists, will make sure this facility works effectively. As we are marketing this port, we will market Ibeto Port because it is part of Area 1 and has modern facilities and a massive stacking area.
“We will go to Nnewi, Onitsha and Aba to canvas for importers to come. We will tell them why it is better to import through the Rivers Port instead of Lagos.
“Shipping companies will start to bring their vessels here; we must achieve that for the betterment of our members in particular and Nigeria in general,” Mr Onwuka insisted.
Piqued by the activities of some recalcitrant traders, who are bent to sabotage the efforts of the government agencies at the ports, especially the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) by engaging in an unwholesome trade, Mr Onwuka, who is currently the Vice Chairman of ANLCA Area 1, said, “We are compliance association and due process business men” and even to the extent that my colleagues see my office as CPC.”
“I told you I am a due process and compliance agent. We will enhance our relationship with the customs and other government agencies at the port to ensure agents comply with the fiscal policies of the federal government,” he added.
On his prospect of winning the election next month, he said, “Our team has done everything that needed to be done for us to emerge as the next chapter executive of ANLCA Area1 Port Harcourt.
“Let me advise our members, they should not vote for somebody that they will regret in future. We have integrity and accessibility. We are here 24/7 at the Port and we are ready to work.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered a major petroleum smuggling network in Adamawa State, cutting off fuel supply lines that have been draining national revenue and strengthening criminal economies along Nigeria’s northern borders.
National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, ACG Kolapo Oladeji, disclosed that officers recorded 55 seizures in eight weeks, blocking the illegal movement of more than 184,000 litres of PMS, a development he described as a significant economic breakthrough for the country.
“This operation is about protecting Nigeria’s strategic resources,” Mr Oladeji told journalists on Thursday at the Customs House in Yola. “Our mandate is clear: to shut down all illegal supply chains that empower criminal elements.”
The seizures, valued at N181.6 million in duty-paid terms, were intercepted across notorious smuggling corridors including Mubi–Sahuda, Farang–Belel, Gurin–Fufore, Maiha, Wuro-Bokki, Ribado waterways, Muninga and Bakin Kogi.
According to Mr Oladeji, items recovered include 2,642 jerrycans of 25-litre PMS, several 220-litre drums, and two large wooden boats used to ferry petroleum products across the border.
He stressed that the illegal PMS diversion is not just an economic crime but a direct threat to national stability.
“The smuggling network is a grave threat to Nigeria’s economy and internal security,” he said. “The illegal diversion of PMS weakens our revenue base and directly fuels non-state actors and cross-border criminal syndicates.”
Mr Oladeji added that intensified surveillance under Operation Whirlwind has “made it extremely difficult for saboteurs to move PMS out of the country,” in line with the directives of Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi.
Commending residents of border communities for supporting the operation with credible intelligence, the Customs chief urged them to remain vigilant.
“Your timely information has been invaluable,” he said. “Security is a collective responsibility, when you see something, say something.”
He also acknowledged the media’s role in raising awareness about the economic and security implications of petroleum smuggling, describing public enlightenment as crucial in sustaining recent gains.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, has expressed his frustration towards the partial progress in Nigeria’s flagship Decade of Gas Initiative, advocating that it must now be aggressively accelerated.
Launched by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021, the scheme is a national policy drive declaring 2021–2030 as the country’s “Decade of Gas.” with the goal of transforming Nigeria from an oil-dependent economy into a gas-powered industrial nation, using its vast natural gas reserves (one of the largest in Africa) for economic growth.
However, speaking recently at the 14th Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum in Yenagoa, Mr Ekpo said the policy has delivered some gains in LPG penetration, CNG rollout, and gas commercialisation, but “not at the scale Nigeria urgently requires.”
“We have made progress, but not enough,” the minister admitted. “The pace has been slower than expected, and we must move with far greater urgency.”
He cited persistent infrastructure gaps, gas supply volatility, funding constraints, and delayed policy execution as major setbacks.
“Critical pipelines are behind schedule. Feedstock shortages still hamper power and industries,” he said. “These challenges have limited the full realisation of the Decade of Gas vision.”
The minister, however, outlined a renewed push to accelerate delivery through tighter regulatory coordination and investment incentives.
“We are strengthening inter-agency alignment to remove approval bottlenecks,” Ekpo said. “The PIA gives us the fiscal tools to unlock more capital into midstream and domestic gas programmes.”
He noted measurable progress in domestic LPG consumption, clean cooking expansion, and flare gas commercialisation, calling them “strong foundations that must now be scaled up.”
“Our goal remains clear: affordable gas for power, households, industries and transport,” he said. “We are not abandoning the Decade of Gas; we are intensifying it.”
Mr Ekpo said the government will prioritise early delivery of key projects such as OB3, AKK, NLNG Train 7, Brass Fertiliser, and several gas-based industrial hubs.
“These projects will determine whether the Decade of Gas becomes a transformative legacy or a missed opportunity,” he warned.
The minister urged industry players, financiers and host communities to recommit to the national gas agenda.
“We need every stakeholder on board,” he said. “Nigeria cannot afford to slow down at a time when global markets are shifting and opportunities are emerging.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Electricity supply was restored to residents of some parts of Lagos on Wednesday morning following a blackout spurred by a jumper cut that occurred in the Powerline area of Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) late on Monday.
The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) had announced a power outage in parts of its franchise, affecting the Ogba, Ikeja, and Alausa axis of Lagos on Tuesday.
In a message to customers, the DisCo said the power outage was due to a jumper cut at the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN) injection substation (ISS).
A jumper cut is an electrical fault that occurs when a jumper cable is damaged, disconnected, or intentionally severed.
The DisCo said the TCN’s technical team was already working to resolve the issue.
“Dear Customer, the current power outage is due to a 132kV jumper cut at the TCN Injection Substation (ISS),” the message read.
“The TCN technical team is already working to clear the fault to ensure supply is restored as soon as possible.”
Mr Kingsley Okotie, spokesperson of Ikeja DisCo, had also clarified that the power outage did not affect the entire franchise area of the company.
“It doesn’t totally affect the whole of our franchise. The message was sent to only customers in areas affected,” he said.
“We are still working to resolve the issues; that’s where we are at the moment.”
Our correspondent, who witnessed the development, reported that the jumper cut occurred around 11 pm on Monday, December 8, when a large spark occurred at the structure, leading to an immediate seizure of power supply. There was yet another minimal spark, but power was restored afterwards, likely from a back up source.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn