• Attack Earns Nigeria Another Maritime Security Alert
A Russian-owned and operated Sovcomflot tanker NS SPIRIT (46,941-dwt, built 2006) came under attack by sea robbers last week in the approaches to Lagos harbours and by the time they were through, at least one crewman is believed to have been injured, while another was shot at.
The injured was said to have been evacuated for qualified medical help in a hospital in Lagos.
The tanker NS Spirit, with deadweight of 47,000 tons was built in Croatia in 2006. It was sailing under a Liberian flag towards Lagos carrying 37,700 tons of petrol.
As a result of the attack, a maritime security alert by the international shipping community
The alert urged vigilance among crew, “adequate preparation, watch rotas and security measures are all recommended when at anchorage, particularly at a time of increased instability ahead of the presidential elections in 2011.
Immediately after the attack, the vessel reportedly called for urgent assistance saying it was drifting near the entrance buoy but for a long time, she allegedly received no response from Lagos port control.
Industry sources confirmed tom our correspondent last week that the tanker, crewed by 22 Russians, was 30 miles out to sea on its way towards Lagos when it was raided by a band of about 10 armed men last week.
According the ship’s owners, the captain of the tanker reported that, “about ten armed men came onboard the ship, clearly in order to rob it, and opened fire from automatic weapons. The crew evacuated for cover. Soon after the attack pirates left the ship. There were no new attempts to attack”.
Another motorboat with doctors to examine the remaining crew and a Russian consulate representative is on its way to the tanker.
Hakeem Olanrewaju, Emerges As New CRRN Chairman, Promises Professionalism In Freight Forwarding 2
Frontline freight forwarder and member of governing council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju has emerged as the new chairman of the Council.
Olanrewaju who had served as vice chairman in the immediate past governing council that was headed by Mr Tony Nwabunike was elected unopposed at the CRFFN governing council elections which held in Abuja last week.
He was nominated by both the national president of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu and national president, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Eugene Nweke.
And in an apparent realization of the level of professional illiteracy among many freight forwarding practitioners, the new chairman has promised to focus on training and retraining of freight forwarders and to leverage on Nigeria’s recent admission by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA).
He gave this assurance as part of his acceptance speech after the elections and his subsequent swearing- in before the formal inauguration by the minister of transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman.
Also elected was Dr Sam Onyemelukwe who was to square up against another member of the council, and current director, maritime transport in the ministry of transport, Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa. She later stepped down following strong opposition to her qualification as a practicing freight forwarder.
While inaugurating the new council, the minister had acknowledged that the council has so far tackled majority of the merging problems, even as he noted that registration of freight forwarders has been concluded and that registration of freight forwarding associations is almost concluded.
He equally admonished the new governing council to sustain these achievements and the international recognition that Nigerian now enjoys in global freight forwarding.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the election, the new chairman confirmed that majority of those who applied for registration as freight forwarders only have secondary school certificates and added that even though they are practitioners, there is need for this category of people to search for knowledge and that the industry would ultimately be the better for it.
“It is my plan to ensure that those who do not presently have the requisite qualifications are given the opportunity to be registered. We are going to give vent to the on-going arrangements with the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology in Zaria for the training for this category of practitioners who are desirous of being called registered freight forwarders”, he promised.
“It is only though training and acquisition of modern and internationally acceptable methods of doing our job that we can indeed stand tall among our contemporaries in other parts of the world, he added even as he assured that the council will also encourage practitioners who are already qualified to pursue more knowledge.
His election was greeted with encomiums by virtually all members of the council who took turn to commend his tremendous contributions right from when he was vice chairman of the council. They also pledged their loyalty to the Council and cooperation with the new leadership..
The elections had all members of the governing council in attendance and it was observed by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, marine transport committees of the two chambers of the National Assembly and the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
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