MARITIME CUP 2023: Nigeria Customs Celebrates Lone Goal Against NAGAFF

 ...to face NPA today 

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) football team on Wednesday secured their place in the final stage of Maritime Cup 2023 after defeating the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF)  with a lone goal.

Customs scored the only goal through Superintendent Sani Buhari in the 59 minutes of the game.

In a communique signed by Superintendent of Customs Akinwale Fatoki, the semi-final match was initially scheduled to kick off at 3 pm but was delayed by almost 20 minutes due to a protest by the NCS Team. 

They alleged that NAGAFF Team had mercenaries among its players. However, the match proceeded after the Match Commissioner advised the Team Manager of NCS to seek official redress through the Technical Committee of the Maritime Cup.

The NCS Team, known for its resilience, is set to face the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) in the final match today Friday, November 10, 2023, at the Stables Sports Complex in Surulere.

MAJAN lauds Moltok's Exceptional Performance at Retirement

...Describes Moltok as outstanding PR Manager

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), has described the immediate past General Manager (GM), Corporate and Strategic Communications (C&SC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mrs Josephine Moltok, as an outstanding Public Relations Manager.

MAJAN, as an association, extolled the virtues of Mrs Moltok, highlighting her public relations skills, competence, resilience, hard work and the right attitude in office.

The encomiums formed part of a press statement released by MAJAN on its platform yesterday.

Going further, MAJAN commended Moltok for the fresh impetus and intelligence she brought to bear on  the PR Unit of NPA.

The Association stressed that Moltok's expertise and effectiveness as the Image Maker of NPA will be remembered for generations to come, notwithstanding her retirement from the organisation. "Her excellent footprint as outstanding PR Manager in NPA will remain on the sands of time for generations to come".

"Mrs Moltok is  intelligent, highly experienced in PR management and she used her competence to deliver on her assignment in NPA effectively".

"Moltok, an old war horse in media and PR management, was for many years, the NPA’s Head of Overseas Liaison Office in London. She returned to Nigeria last year to head the Administration Division of the Authority as its GM from where she was moved to the new position.

"The soft-spoken new image maker, who hails from Plateau State, worked as a Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the defunct Western Zone of NPA in Apapa and later moved to Calabar Port.

"She also worked at the agency’s defunct head office in Abuja, after which she came to serve at the former Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) Port in TinCan, Lagos, even as she equally headed the PR Unit of the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa," the statement read.

Overtime Cargo: Customs Set up Committee to ease Ports Congestion

Overtime Cargo: Customs Set up Committee to ease Ports Congestion 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, on Wednesday officially inaugurated a committee to expedite the Disposal of Overtime Cargo at Nigerian Ports.

This was contained in a statement made available on Thursday by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada saying the development was in response to the new Customs Act's provisions, which empower the NCS to dispose of containers that have exceeded their allotted time within the ports.

In the statement, CGC Adeniyi emphasized that decongesting the ports stands as a paramount objective for the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, offering the promise of heightened efficiency and enhanced trade facilitation.

"It's worth noting that approximately six months ago, the new NCS Act received the former President Mohammed Buhari's signature, ushering in substantial modifications to the previous protocols governing the disposal of overtime cargo," the CGC stated. 

According to him, the provision of the NCS Act 2023 mandated that the disposal of cargo exceeding its allotted time can now only occur through a court order.

"The Act also stipulates that goods must be disposed of through public auction or tender, to be widely publicized in advance through national newspapers, television, and the service's official website," CGC explained.

Acknowledging the initiative, the General Manager of MD's office, Nigerian Ports Authority, Durowaiye Ayodele, expressed his relief, highlighting the issue of over 7,000 overtime containers that have remained for years across the ports.

"We have containers that have been there for over ten years, occupying economic space for which we are unable to dispose. So this is a significant relief for our operations. We are delighted that we have reached a point where we can begin to remove some of these lingering containers and overdue cargo from the port," he stated.

On his part, Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, in charge of Human Resources Development, Greg Itotoh, affirmed that with the support of the Nigerian Ports Authority, the changes and new procedures will ensure more streamlined trade operations.

The committee will be chaired by a senior officer from the Nigeria Customs Service. Its members include representatives from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the National Agency for Food, Drugs and Control, a representative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, among others.