By Izuchukwu Ozoemena

The haulage subsidiary of the SIFAX Conglomerate, SIFAX Logistics Company Ltd has acquired 13 brand-new trucks out of the 200 targeted to boost her operations.

The trucks, which are 33 tons of 6×4 MAN diesel vehicles with 400 horsepower, will help the company increase its market share and competitiveness in long-distance and interstate deliveries.

Adewale Adetayo, General Manager, SIFAX Logistics Company Limited, disclosed this at the unveiling of the 13 brand-new trucks.

According to him, the additions became necessary following an upsurge in demand for the company’s haulage services across the country.

He said: “To maintain our market dominance and expansion to various new routes within the country, management decided to embark on the purchase of these new trucks. Our target is to expand rapidly and we have mapped out a strategic plan to acquire 200 new trucks before the end of the 2024 business year. This will be done in phases and we have started with 13 for now. We hope to buy another 20 in the next phase of our acquisition plan.”

He explained that the company went for the MAN diesel brand, a German product, because of its high rating in the logistics ecosystem, durability, load-bearing capability, driving stability, and adaptability.

In his remarks during the unveiling, Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, noted that the company has always braved the odds to invest more in the Nigerian economy during downtimes.

“We are aware many businesses are not favorably disposed to investing at this moment due to the prevailing economic reality. But the reality is that some economic activities like production and movement of goods will almost always demand haulage services even in challenging times.”

He said SIFAX is scaling up through the acquisition of the trucks because of the huge potential in the industry.

“The economic outlook for the country is looking bright and we know that once the economy bounces back, we would reap the rewards of our investments.”

“Many businesses, both existing and potential clients, continue to reach out to us due to the credibility and efficiency we have achieved over the years. To meet these agreements, we need a larger fleet”, Afolabi added.

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena

The Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners In Nigeria (ASSIMPIN) has called on the current leadership under His Royal Majesty, Eze Ambassador Damian Obianigwe, to conduct an election without further delay. This is with the aim to inject new blood into the leadership after a very long period of leadership inertia which has stagnated growth contrary to the dream of the founding fathers.

As stated in an ASSIMIN press release jointly signed by the the Chairman and Secretary, Chief Boniface Okoye and Osita Chukwu respectively, the umbrella body of Igbo practitioners in the freight forwarding trade expressed disgust at the state of affairs in the association whereby those in power have, for the past twelve years, refused to conduct election even as thy have failed to add value to the body.

The elders condemned, in strong terms, the inability of the current leadership to obey the stipulations of the constitution especially as regards tenure.

The elders are worried that one of them, Prince Ozo Chukwura who was chosen about fourteen years ago to assist and direct the President-General to ensure that the right steps are taken to move the body forward has completely failed in his duty.

“We the elders of the Igbo Maritime Forum of ASSIMPIN are hereby writing to register our utter disgust at the state of our formerly revered Association.”

“We chose Prince Ozo Chukwura about fourteen years ago as a well-grounded maritime professional to help guide the president general in shepherding this Association to greatness”.

ASSIMPIN noted with displeasure, what it referred to as the seemingly unshakable bad support that Prince Chukwura has accorded the President- General, His Royal Majesty, Ambassador Damian Obianigwe, thus, making him unable to show good leadership. The President-General, the statement added, has not added much value to the Association.

“It is also on record that Chief Obianigwe was voted to serve a two-year tenure, but has now spent almost fourteen years at the position. These have happened with the unflinching support of Prince Ozo Chukwura to the president general. All entreaties for him to guide the president general and grant some good advice to him have not been heeded to”.

“We also want to state that the flimsy and illegitimate excuse of lack of biometrics capture by members for the conduct of an election is not tenable as it is unconstitutional”.

The present leadership, the statement said, should make the right move towards having a free and fair election so as to enthrone what it calls an efficient executive to take over the mantle of leadership.

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena

Deserving indigenous ship owners angling to benefit from the about-to-be-disbursed Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) must be prepared to speedily sort out the criteria for the disbursement of the fund.

This idea is being canvassed as Nigerians in general and ship owners in particular eagerly look forward to the general elections and the end of the Buhari-led administration.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, ship owners express hope that the much talked-about Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) disbursement will be a reality after over a 17- year period of promise-and-fail.

According to some respondents to posers in the first month of the new year, there are high hopes that qualified ship owners earlier verified stand to smile eventually.

“Even though the disbursement of the fund looked elusive all these while, there is hope that it will be given to qualified beneficiaries this time around, going by the posture and body language of the current Transportation Minister, Engr Muazu Sambo”, a ship owner confessed.

This stance is supported by Jegede Paul, a ship owner and member of the Nigerian Ship Owners’ Association (NSA). He said that the recent pronouncement by the Minister of Transportation on the matter is reliable and convincing.

Kegede Paul, the CEO of Japual Oil and Gas Services Plc optimistically maintained that disbursement of the fund would depend largely on the readiness of stakeholders to satisfy the conditions attached.

“Yes, it is reliable depending on how quick the stakeholders sort out the criteria with Government for disbursement.”

Otunba Sika Olatunji, MD/CEO of Victory Energy Resources Ltd said that disbursement of the fund was organic looking at the history of the Fund.

He added that several pronouncements have been made by government officials without keeping to the project.

He said, “On the question you asked about the disbursement of CVFF, it’s really organic looking at the history of Cabotage, CVFF, pronouncements upon pronouncements by past and present public officials.

“It’s like government officials take pleasure in building hope for the maritime entrepreneurs and at the end ,it turns out to be ‘ the more you look, the less you see’! Here we are again.
We hope this time around government pronouncement will not be ‘ as I dey pepper us ,I dey sweet them’, apology to Governor Wike.”

For Captain Franklin Akinpelu, the dream of disbursing the fund is realizable despite general elections slated for February, 2023.