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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Glitz, bliss and glamour reigned when the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), hosted its past presidents to an appreciation reception at the Rockview hotel, Apapa Lagos.
‎The pioneer maritime reporters body showcased its 13 past leaders who had toiled and sweated to build the association into a formidable group of maritime journalists that has over the years shaped government policies and programmes in the maritime industry.
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‎An idea of the reception which started like the proverbial mustard seed was sown by the present Tunde Ayodele-led Caretaker Committee of the association when it was tabled at the Association’ s Congress meeting in January, 2026.
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‎According to Ayodele, his caretaker committee was inspired to organize a befitting reception for the past presidents, given their sacrifices, passion, patriotism and sheer resilience they had displayed to berth a MARAN that was the progenitor of all other journalists association in the maritime industry.
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‎”When my team and I assumed responsibility as the caretaker committee, one of our foremost priorities was to reconnect with our roots by honouring these great men.
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‎”This event was not just a celebration; it was  a reminder that their labour was not in vain.
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‎”Nearly four decades later, MARAN remains strong, relevant, and growing.
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‎”We recognise that the wisdom, experience, and guidance of our past leaders are invaluable” Ayodele said, giving an insight into what motivated its committee to organize the reception.
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‎So they tapped on a five- man Organising committee led by Funso Olojo, the Chairman of Board of Trustees (BOT) of MARAN, to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.
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‎So, the Organising committee, which also consisted of John Iwori, Enyeribe Anyanwu, Ruth Umunna, and Sandra Chkwunyere, set to work, toiling day and night to organize the most befitting reception for the past leaders of the association.
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‎On April 24th, 2026, the past presidents of MARAN, for the first time in the 38 years of the establishment of the association, gathered together under the same roof where they were unveiled to the stakeholders in the industry.
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‎It was a night of glowing tributes, good will messages and effusive show of love to the men and woman of valor who built and nurtured MARAN to stardom.
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‎The roll call was intimidating and inspiring.
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‎Rev. Alban Opara, the Minister of God in His vineyard and the pioneer President of MARAN, Elder ASU Beks,  an enigmatic media mogul who is the CEO of Maritime Media Limited, the publisher of the influential Shipping World and the one commonly called the God Father, Barrister Tino Buoro, a legal luminary and expert in Arbitration law, Ubon Akpan, now late but a colossus in the media world, Emmanuel Adegbe, now late who was also a force to be reckoned with in journalism  and  Pius Mordi, the  Media Aide to the Governor of Delta. state.
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‎Others were  Ray Ugochukwu, now late , the two – terms President of MARAN, the first ever person to achieve such a rare feat . He was also an erudite journalist.
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‎Sesan Onilemo, another brilliant and consummate journalist who is the CEO of First Mediacon Media Limited, the publisher of the influencial Shipping position Newspaper and producer of Shipping position on radio, Dele Aderibigbe, another fearless journalist who is the pioneer and current Chairman of the Nigeria National Maritime Journalists(NNMJ),  the confederation of six maritime journalists associations in the maritime industry, Adeleye Ajayi, a retired Director at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the current two- term Chairman of Lagos council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ), Dr Bolaji Akinola, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ifeyinwa Obi, now late who was a humanist, passionate and committed welfarist who was a crack journalist.
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‎The last but not the least on the roll call of MARAN past presidents celebrated on that night of glitz was Anya Njoku, a fiery and fearless journalist.
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‎However, the deceased past presidents were represented by their dear wives and family friends and members.
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‎While Mrs Nneka Rosemary Ugochukwu stood for her late husband, Ray Ugochukwu, Mrs Paulina Adegbe and her two adorable daughters stood in for her late husband, Emmanuel Adegbe.
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‎Mr Frank Meke, a seasoned journalist, represented the family of late Ubong Akpan as the wife of the deceased was away on a family engagement.
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‎By and large, it was a night to remember as MARAN, in an unprecedented way, honoured the labour of its heroes past to ensure that they did not labour in vain.
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‎The event attracted a large assemblage of stakeholders, consisting maritime agencies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, technocrats ,academia and well wishers of MARAN and the Awardees.
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‎In their  reactions to the unexpected appreciation night, some of the Awardees expressed their heartfelt gratitude to MARAN, the organisers of the event.
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‎The wives of two of the deceased past presidents, Mrs Nneka Rosemary Ugochukwu and Paulina Adegbe, delivered moving messages of gratitude to MARAN.
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‎”With heartfelt appreciation, the family of Ugochukwu sincerely appreciate the Maritime Reporters association of Nigeria (MARAN) for the honor bestowed on my late husband, Ray Ugochukwu, your former president.
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‎”Though he is no longer here, your thoughtful recognition of his leadership through the love, honor and respect showed is really comforting to us .
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‎”Thank you for keeping his memory alive.
‎We are truly grateful for this kind gesture.
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‎”Thank you Chairman, caretaker committee.
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‎”Thank you Chairman, organizing committee.
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‎”Thank you Maritime Reporters association of Nigeria.
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‎Thank you all stakeholders.
‎God bless you” Mrs Nneka Rosemary Ugochukwu said in an emotion- laden voice, tears welling up in her eyes.
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‎Mrs Paulina Adegbe was no less emotional in her message of appreciation for the honour done her late husband, Emmanuel Adegbe.
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‎”The family of late Emmanuel Adegbe sincerely wants to appreciate the organizers of the event held 24/4/2026 in honor of their past presidents living and the deceased.
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‎”Thank you Maritime Association of Nigeria (MARAN )for what you did, it was an amazing experience.
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‎”We pray for long life and success for the Association in the nearest future. Thank you once again.”
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‎At the rendition of these messages of appreciation, the audience fell into a solemn mood.
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‎The event, chaired by the legendary Engineer Greg Ogbeifun, was spiced by a thought- provoking seminar paper  by Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, the former Minister of Interior who spoke on the topic:The Role of Media in Sustainable Maritime Development.
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‎Rev. Alban Opara, the first MARAN President, took the awe- struck audience on a historical tour of the the creation of MARAN.
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‎Rev.Opara told the audience about the dramatic story of how MARAN was born on April 10th,1988 during the fraud- induced port congestion era of that year.
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‎He also listed the founding members of the historic nascent body of maritime journalists to include
‎Alban Opara – the Vanguard Newspaper, (Pioneer President),
‎Emeka Okoroanyanwu – The Guardian Newspaper ( Pioneer Vice president),
‎Friday Odoemena – The Republic Newspaper ( Pioneer General Secretary),
‎Remi itie – Radio Nigeria ( Pioneer Treasurer), later Maritime Economist)
‎Martin Nwanne – Daily Times Newspapers
‎Goke Odeyinka replaced Tunde Fabunmi – National Concord
‎Eddie Iroha – Business Times
‎Hanni Okoroafor –  Business Concord
‎News Agency of Nigeria, NAN Correspondence ( Name not available)
‎Rasheed Williams  – National Television Authority
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‎These are the men and woman that braved the odds and the intimidation of the military government of General Ibrahim Babamosi Babangida and the oppressive port authority of that period.
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‎It was a historical expedition that make the audience fall into a pin- drop silence while listening with rapt attention but later erupted in a spontaneous applause after the thrilling details of how MARAN was formed.
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‎The occasion afforded most MARAN members, especially the younger ones, many of who were still toddlers or were even not yet born at the creation of MARAN, to behold, flesh and blood, those men who were the forerunners of the association.
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‎The appreciation night was a night to remember which will be etched on the memory of all those who attended.
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By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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As smugglers divise various means of plying their ignoble trade to the detriment of the national economy, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has, in collaboration with sister-agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) remained ahead and ever committed in nipping in the bud whatever strategies they adopt.
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‎ During a press briefing at the Tincan Customs Command, Thursday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka unveiled 185 jumbo bags of Cannabis Indica worth over N18.9billion concealed in a container falsely declared as containiing used vehicles.
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‎He said the container with number HAMU429966/1, originated from Canada and was red-flagged by the Customs. Arising from reliable intelligence, a 100% physical examination revealed 9,458 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 4,729 kilograms statchehed in-between a 2010 Toyota Camry and a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado.
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‎“The estimated street value of the seizure is ₦18,916,000,000,” the Controller said. “This demonstrates the vigilance and professionalism of our officers, and affirms the strength of our collaboration with sister agencies.”
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‎On April 27, 2026, the NCS Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the NDLEA Chairman, Brig-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd) signed a historic agreement in Abuja on the need to strengthen inter-agency synergy against drug trafficking.
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Under the Standard Operating Procedures of the agreement, both agencies will deepen intelligence- sharing and conduct coordinated operations. The headquarters of the standing inter-agency committee will be domiciled at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
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‎Comptroller Onyeka paid tribute to CGC Adeniyi for his “visionary leadership” even as he thanked the NDLEA, port operators and the media for their support.
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‎He restated that the NCS , in collaboration with partners, is ever ready to thwart the antics of smugglers in whatever form. To the ever ingenious smugglers, he warned: “The NCS is fully prepared and determined to detect, intercept, and prosecute all forms of illegal activities.”
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‎There will be no safe haven for economic saboteurs, he said, even as he reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders and ports through intelligence-driven strategies.
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‎The seized drugs were formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Nigeria’s maritime stakeholders and business community have once again been reminded that the future of global trade is being shaped by technology, efficiency and sustainability across the world because ports are evolving from traditional gateways into intelligent ecosystems powered by automation, data and innovation.
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‎Acting Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Dr. Kevin Okonna stated this in Lagos, Friday, while speaking at a town hall meeting put together by JournalNG, on the theme “Towards a Regime of Smart Ports in Nigeria.”
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‎Represented by Domo Umoekpe, the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Dr Okonna said “Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind; our ports must not only catch up, they must be at the forefront.”
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‎”A smart port is more than digital infrastructure. It requires seamless operations, reduced turnaround time, enhanced security, environmental responsibility, and, most importantly, a workforce equipped with the right knowledge and skills to drive it.”
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‎At the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, he stated, emphasis is placed on a competent workforce as the bedrock of every smart system.
‎”So, we are committed to raising forward-thinking maritime professionals who are not only technically sound but digitally ready for this evolving landscape. The Academy offers courses relevant to port operations, port management and port security with emphasis on utilization of digital technologies to achieve smart operations. The Academy is also equipped with smart classrooms, state-of-the-art training facilities, including advanced simulators that provide hands-on experiences in very conducive digital learning spaces.”
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‎He announced that the Academy recently obtained an international certification from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for its Integrated Management System (IMS) in line with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems (QMS) and ISO 21001:2025 for Educational Organizations Management System (EOMS).
‎”This milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to global best practices, quality assurance, and maritime education and training excellence – values that are significant to the smart port vision.”
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‎”As we chart this course together, let us be bold in our thinking, deliberate in our actions and united in our purpose. The journey towards smart ports in Nigeria is not a distant dream, it is a present responsibility, that we are all be involved”
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‎He commended JournalNG, organizers of the event, for creating what he referred to as an important platform. He urged all stakeholders to translate conversations of the day into concrete actions that will reposition Nigeria as a hub of maritime excellence.
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‎”Together, we can build ports that are not just functional, but digitally integrated and smart,” he concluded.
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‎Highlight of the event was the Distinguished Leadership Award bestowed on the Acting Rector.
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