Shipping Position
COMTUA Is Intact; Nobody Has Dissolved It, Says National President.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
National President, Council of Maritime Truck Unions Associations (COMTUA), Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, has debunked the notion those he called detractors are bandying that the coalition is in disarray. Aroyewun stated this, Tuesday, during an online personality round- table organized in Lagos by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN. He urged members of the public to disregard the alleged story of dissolution as it exists only in the imagination of people who, haven failed in the bid to have their way, have resorted to a campaign of calumny against the maritime truckers group.
He said that as a body, COMTUA noticed certain anomalies in how the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was operating the Truck Transit Parks (TTP) and the trucks electronic call-up system (Eto) and raised alarm. Those who individually benefited from the anomalies associated with these systems protested because the association’s stance prevented them from achieving their selfish objectives, hence the resort to blackmail.
Even a year after coming on-board November 25, 2021, he explained, some people who claimed to be founding fathers have not seen the need to relinquish leadership responsibilities to the current leadership under him.
He referred to the issue of bank account and said: “For example, COMTUA has only one account domiciled with Access Bank. The signatories to that account happened to be the first BOT Chairman of the collaboration in the person of Comrade Aloga Ogbogo who is currently the Executive Secretary of NARTO, the current President General, Maritime Workers’ Union, who is also the co-Chairman of the BOT of COMTUA since 2020 and the third signatory is Otunba Olaleye Thompson who was then the President. The last signatory was Madam Folake George who was the Director of Finance.
“The moment the baton of leadership changed since November 25, 2021, none of these four signatories have voluntarily or otherwise released their signatures for the mandate to change. As I speak with you, we have not been able to access COMTUA’s account as executives in the last one and half years of our administration.
Secondly, the so-called elders of the collaboration, in the name of the collaboration, got garages, parks and pregate garages for themselves under TTP. The moment COMTUA began to see inadequacies in Eto and TTP arrangement and started challenging these inadequacies, they became uncomfortable.
“These our so-called founding fathers who have been profiting directly or indirectly from TTP legitimately or illegitimately now feel COMTUA is becoming too powerful for them and it is going to cause problem for them. They felt after submitting their resignation letters three years ago, two years ago, last year and some this year, they can come back to say that they have dissolved COMTUA.”
He was assertive that what appeared as disagreements in the the organization had since been resolved by the members. COMTUA never had any problems among individual component associations.
“Whoever are speaking against COMTUA are no longer members of COMTUA. So, we want the media and the general public to disregard any campaign of calumny as it stands now because COMTUA does not have any problem as a collaboration.
“However, we should not fail to remember that there is freedom of association. You can be in or out of an association at will and since some people have chosen to be out of the association and they have followed due process by writing officially to dissociate themselves from the association. It is okay, it has been accepted. That has been settled internally. Every other issue that we have among ourselves has been resolved internally and we will continue to do that because we have our internal mechanism to resolve conflicts.
“The noise you are hearing now is from people that are no longer members of the collaboration and are determined to bring the name and integrity of the association to disrepute. The association will not fold its hands and look at them to engage in a campaign of calumny against the association. Beyond that, if they fail to desist from their conduct, the association will not hesitate to take a legal action against them.
Aroyewun declared that an association, COMTUA is actually a pressure group speaking in favour of or against the policies of government.
“That we have been doing. Some people do not see any reason for us to do that and only if they are members of the association and they are able to convince us against what we are doing. We don’t have any issue among ourselves except for people who are no longer members of the collaboration.”
On allegation of lack of leadership trust, the reason the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) allegedly left the Council, he insisted that there was never a time the issue of trust has come up in COMTUA. There has never been any case of financial misappropriation or criminal allegation.
“COMTUA does not have any issue of trust and, let me correct you, Maritime Workers’ Union pulled out in 2021 and that was under the administration of Otunba Olaleye Thompson. However, the Maritime Workers’ Union pulled out basically because they are actually not transporters; they are dockworkers, seafarers, NPA employees and so on. They came into this collaboration on the ground that they were going to strengthen us whenever we are going to make demands from the government such that they will also embark on industrial action whenever we will be withdrawing our services.
Aroyewun regretted that on several occasions when the Council demanded for them to give support to a legitimate cause, they were unable to provide it because of their relationship with the Nigeria Ports Authority and their status as NPA employees.
“They often do not cooperate with us when we have demands to make of NPA. However, we were managing the relationship even though I was not the president at that time. For example, we wrote to NPA demanding to know why the electronic call-up regime is not functioning properly. We expected the Maritime Workers’ Union, as decided in the meeting, to be part of signatories to this letter, but the President of the Maritime Workers Union declined his signature.
“There was never a time the NURTW withdrew their membership of COMTUA. The present co-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations is Prof. Ibikunle Baruwa who is the President of NURTW.
COMTUA does not have any issue of trust with anybody. There is nothing like financial misappropriation in COMTUA; there is nothing like criminal allegations in COMTUA. Those that actually withdrew their membership from COMTUA have their personal reasons for doing so and we don’t have a problem with that as we have moved on.
As about four associations have withdrawn their membership of the collaboration, he stated, six more associations have applied and are now members of COMTUA.
“We have the Green Initiative, Maritime Truck Drivers, the Lekki Fertilizer Group, the Arewa Group, the Marine Beach operators, Amuwo-Odofin Truck Operators and the rest of them. So, the collaboration is ongoing and we are waxing stronger and that is why you are seeing everybody showing concern about the existence of COMTUA. If COMTUA had issues, nobody would want to associate with it.”
Aroyewun recalled that before COMTUA came into existence, the maritime transportation industry had been battling with a lot of issues. These included traffic congestion and the challenges of returning empty containers.
“It was through COMTUA that the introduction of holding bays where our members do not have where to return empty containers to the port was actualized. What we do now is to return empty containers to the holding bays. It has saved the industry a lot of stress in the area of container deposit.”
To him, this is one major achievement in the past five years.
“Before now, when you loaded cargo, after discharging the cargo, you would be on the road for weeks before you are able to return the empty containers. The importer is incurring demurrage and the truck is also stuck. We no longer return empty containers to the port; we return them to the holding bays across Lagos State and beyond. This saves us a lot of turnaround time. This was an initiative of COMTUA to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Nigerian Ports Authority.
He said that before now, the congestion in the port area was not only limited to the roads only. From time to time, COMTUA embarked on educating the drivers on the need to be more professional in their conduct.
” I can assure you, in recent times, the rate of accident has reduced and our drivers are more professional now. In addition to this, you will understand that COMTUA has been faced with a lot of challenges vis-a-vis so many unpopular policies of the government and we do not hesitate often to engage the government in policy making. For example, in the past, when the federal government was setting up the Presidential Task Team, members of COMTUA were included in that project and that project stayed for a period and served some of the purposes even though there were challenges.”
Maritime Agencies
We’re Ever Proactive In Intercepting Prohibited, Falsely Declared Goods, says Controller Onyeka.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In line with the core mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Tincan Island Port Command is ever proactive in intercepting prohibited and falsely declared goods even as it remains committed to facilitate legitimate trade while contributing significantly to revenue generation.
The falsely declared goods include controlled pharmaceuticals, arms and ammunition, narcotics and other items capable of undermining public safety, security and stability.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Frank Onyeka stated this in Lagos, Friday, while formally handing over three (3) units of 20 ft containers containing expired pharmaceutical products to the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for appropriate regulatory action.
”The containers include two units with numbers PONU031958/6 and MSKU 711656/0 which were found to contain expired Tramadol tablets,” Onyeka announced.
”These consignments were thoroughly examined and the result revealed that the first container contained 86 cartons of Vingil Tramadol BP 50 mg while the second container held 250 cartons of the same expired Tramadol product”.
”The third container with number MSKU413519/1 was found to contain 370 cartons of expired Declofenac Sodium BP 50 mg tablets without a valid NAFDAC registration number, making the consignment illegal and dangerous for public use.”
Beyond these seizures, he explained, the Tincan Command has continued to record notable achievements in recent times through intensified cargo examination, improved intelligence gathering and sustained enforcement operations. These achievements are the result of deliberate strategies anchored on discipline, integrity and strong inter -agency collaboration.
He showed special appreciation to the operatives of NAFDAC for their consistent cooperation.
”Our synergy has continued to yield positive results particularly in ensuring that fake, substandard and expired drugs are intercepted before reaching the Nigerian populace.”
He equally commended officers and men of the Command for being resilient and committed to duty, a development that has continued to strengthen the credibility and operational effectiveness of the Command.
”Furthermore, I express our sincere appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, psc (+) for his purposeful leadership and strategic reforms which have empowered our operations.”
The CAC later handed over the prohibited pharmaceuticals to Mr Kareem Taiwo Adekunle, the Chief Regulatory Officer (Investigation and Inspection Directorate), NAFDAC, Apapa.
Maritime Agencies
Zone ‘A’ Coordinator, Mohammed Babandede, Visits Apapa Command, Commends Officers’ Sterling Performance.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Officers and men of the Apapa Customs Command have received a special commendation for maintaining an exceptional performance in revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations and trade facilitation throughout 2025.
Mohammed Babandede, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) and Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service handed down the commendation during his familiarization visit to the Command, Thursday.
Chief Superintendent of Customs, Isa Sulaiman, the image maker of the Apapa Customs Command disclosed this in a press release.
Addressing officers and men during the visit, the image maker stated, the Zonal Coordinator explained that the purpose of his coming was to acknowledge the operational challenges faced by the Command, appreciate its notable achievements and further boost the morale of personnel who have consistently surpassed expectations, particularly in revenue collection where the Command exceeded its annual target.
”The ACG also lauded the Command’s sustained anti-smuggling efforts, especially the significant seizures of narcotics and other illicit substances including cocaine and tramadol, describing these interceptions as critical contributions to national security, public health and societal safety. ”
Effective enforcement, the ACG emphasized, remains fundamental to creating a secure environment for legitimate trade to thrive.
While noting that the core responsibilities of the Service extend beyond revenue generation to include national security, public safety and trade facilitation, the Zonal Coordinator commended the Apapa Command for its effective inter-agency collaboration. He urged officers to deepen cooperation with sister agencies, particularly in the deployment and promotion of trade facilitation tools that have positioned the Service at an upper-class operational rating.
The Zonal Coordinator further stressed the importance of integrity, reputational management, mentorship and capacity building within the Command. He urged senior officers to transfer knowledge and experience to younger officers while also drawing attention to the importance of officers’ welfare and health, disclosing that drug tests would be conducted across Commands. He advised officers to remain health-conscious for effective service delivery.
In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, expressed appreciation to the Zonal Coordinator whose February 5 visit was motivating and timely. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining its performance in revenue generation, enforcement, trade facilitation, inter-agency cooperation and ethical conduct in strict adherence to the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 and the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Adewale Adeniyi.
Customs
Freight Forwarders Warn FAAN To Halt New Charges In Airport Cargo Operations or Risk Rumble in the Sector .
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
If the recent arbitrary increase in charges by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is not reviewed, cargo operations across airports nationwide risk disruption, prompting huge losses in government revenue, airports freight forwarders have warned.
Leaders of major associations operating at the nation’s airports stated this in Lagos, Tuesday. The associations included the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), African Professionals Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) and NAFFAC.
Featuring at the briefing, among others, were Dr. Segun Musa, Deputy National President of NAGAFF in charge of Air and Logistics, and Mr. Tope Akindele, Chairman, Airport Chapter of ANLCA.
Speaking on behalf of the groups, Dr. Musa traced the controversy to an agreement reached with FAAN in 2010 over the collection of a seven-naira-per-kilogram levy on cargo, which, according to him, was tied to the allocation of land for the development of a cargo village at the airport.
He explained that prior to that agreement, FAAN had been collecting two naira per kilogram, a charge the freight forwarders had challenged on the grounds that FAAN, having concessioned cargo operations to companies such as NAHCO and SAHCOL, was not directly provding cargo handling services.
He said the associations had formally written FAAN at the time, arguing that the two-naira charge was illegal, a move that led to prolonged negotiations that reportedly lasted for about two weeks and disrupted activities at the airport. According to him, an eventual compromise was the introduction of the seven-naira charge in exchange for the allocation of land to build a cargo village, a deal he said formed the basis for the current arrangement.
“The seven naira we are talking about is attached to this land. It is like rent on this land,” Musa said, insisting that FAAN had no right to impose fresh charges without first engaging stakeholders. He argued that, just as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) relates with terminal operators after concessioning the seaports, FAAN should deal with its concessionaires rather than directly imposing charges on operators.
The freight forwarders also raised financial concerns, claiming that FAAN had already made substantial sums from the seven-naira levy over the years. Musa said that in 2010 alone, FAAN collected over one billion naira from the charge and that from 2010 to date, the cumulative amount would be far higher than the value of the land allocated for the cargo village.
The immediate trigger for the latest dispute, according to the associations, is FAAN’s decision to increase the existing charges without consultation, a move they said was followed by a threat letter warning of possible demolition of their secretariats. The groups described this as coercive and counterproductive, stressing that they were not opposed to a review of charges but it must be done through dialogue.
Instead of imposing higher fees, they argued, FAAN should work with operators to create an enabling environment that would increase cargo throughput, which in turn raise revenue. “The more cargo we have, the more revenue they generate,” Musa said, adding that the present approach would only hurt all parties involved.
Mr. Tope Akindele, Chairman of ANLCA Airport Chapter, said the ongoing standoff had already begun to affect revenue generation. He noted that cargo activities had slowed in recent days because many operators were staying away from work in protest. According to him, if a concessionaire that used to make about one billion naira weekly is now making roughly half of that, continued disruption could lead to even worse outcomes for government revenue.
He stressed that the associations were not trying to sabotage government earnings, noting that any revenue yet to be paid due to the slowdown would still be collected once normal operations resume. “We want government daily revenue to continue. We are not frustrating government revenue. We are ready to continue paying, but let us dialogue within the shortest time so our job can commence,” he said.
Akindele also argued that globally, increments in charges are usually benchmarked around 25 per cent, adding that this was the standard the associations were willing to consider. Beyond that, he said, stakeholders should jointly explore ways to increase cargo volume rather than rely solely on higher levies.
Other speakers at the briefing raised concerns about what they described as multiple layers of charges on the same cargo. They pointed out that cargo handlers and airlines already collect various fees per kilogram, which are ultimately linked to FAAN, and argued that imposing additional charges on freight forwarders amounts to double or even triple taxation within the same cargo chain.
One of the speakers claimed that aside payments to cargo handlers and airlines, some charges could reach as high as 30 naira per kilogram in certain instances, warning that piling more levies on operators would further increase the cost of doing business and weaken the competitiveness of Nigeria’s air cargo sector.
The associations also recalled that the original dispute over the legality of the levy had not been fully resolved in court, but was set aside in favour of a mutual understanding aimed at keeping the industry running. They warned that if FAAN proceeds unilaterally or attempts to formalise the new charges without broad stakeholder agreement, the matter could return to the courts.
The freight forwarders called on the Minister of Aviation to intervene and prevail on FAAN to open talks with stakeholders. They stressed that they were not protesting, not carrying placards, and not seeking confrontation, but were instead asking for engagement that would lead to a mutually beneficial resolution.
They warned that if cargo operations at airports across the country were to grind to a halt, the wider economy would suffer, describing such a scenario as a “lose-lose” situation for operators and government alike. Despite the tension, they said they had advised members nationwide to continue working and avoid actions that could escalate the situation.
The associations assured the Federal Government that once negotiations begin, normal operations would resume immediately, with the existing status quo maintained pending the outcome of discussions. They also reiterated their willingness to work with FAAN and other government agencies to grow cargo volumes and, by extension, government revenue.
“We are here to appeal. We are not here to threaten or to protest or to cause a breakdown of law and order,” Musa said. He added that most operators depend on daily airport activities to feed their families and sustain their businesses.
We’re Ever Proactive In Intercepting Prohibited, Falsely Declared Goods, says Controller Onyeka.
Zone ‘A’ Coordinator, Mohammed Babandede, Visits Apapa Command, Commends Officers’ Sterling Performance.
Freight Forwarders Warn FAAN To Halt New Charges In Airport Cargo Operations or Risk Rumble in the Sector .
Lekki Deepsea Port: The Success Story of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
NAGAFF Pledges Watertight Enforcement, Unveils A More Formidable 100% Compliance Team.
PTML Customs Hands Over Seized Arms and Ammunition, Collects N44.06bn in January.
NAGAFF Compliance Team Set to Relaunch for Stronger Engagement, Enforcement.
WAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
Seme Customs Raids Hideouts, Impounds 200 Bags of Smuggled Rice, Collects N2bn 3 Weeks into 2026.
Lekki Deepsea Port: The Success Story of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
OGUN AREA 1 CUSTOMS: Suspected Armed Drug Traffickers Mount Barricades, Attack Officers. Two Personnel Critically Injured.
KLT Customs Surpasses 2025 Revenue Target By a Wide Margin, Clamps Down on Expired Imports.
Suspend Charges Review, Engage Stakeholders, Shippers’ Council Tasks Shipping Companies
FG Inaugurates Nigerian Shippers’ Council Board, Highlights Need for Reduced Port Costs, Fair Pricing.
OIL FACILITIES PROTECTION: Tompolo’s Tantita Acquires High-Tech Drones From US Firm.
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: MARAN Appreciates Stakeholders, Requests Greater Support and Collaboration in 2026.
1. EXECUTIVE PLATFORM. AMES 2024: TIME TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT IS NOW, AMES President Charges FG.
APFFLON Seeks Immediate Reform of CRFFN, Replacement of Registrar.
2023 ELECTIONS：CILT Hosts Seminar on Logistics & Electoral Process
OMIS AWARDS, 2022: Greg Ogbeifun, Industry Gurus For Special Recognition.
B’ODOGWU TRADE PORTAL: Customs Consolidates, Pilots Form ‘M’ Processing.
FG Set To Re-establish National Shipping Line, To Take Advantage of $10 bn Annual Ship Charter Market.
INLAND WATERWAYS OFFERS NIGERIA ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCE, Says Sambo
Sylvanus Ekpo, ex-Editor, Shipping World Magazine, loses Mum
PHOTO NEWS: Maritime Capacity Development
Photo News: Salah Celebration
WAR AGAINST OIL THEFT: Tompolo’s Company Nabs VLCC Laden With Crude Oil
MAN, ORON: It’s Encomiums Galore From International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Lilypond Export Command Is Meeting Expectations, Handles 70% of Nigeria’s Total Tonnage of Export Cargo, says CAC Odusanya.
BENIN SEAPORT UPDATE: Edo State Government, Host Communities, Conduct Bidders To Inspect Project Site.
HALF YEAR, 2024: Apapa Customs Nets ₦1.024 Trillion, Records 143% Increase.
SIFAX GROUP: Ojeniyi Becomes Sky Capital GMD, Omajuwa Strategy Director.
-
Customs3 weeks agoKLT Customs Surpasses 2025 Revenue Target By a Wide Margin, Clamps Down on Expired Imports.
-
Customs1 week agoFreight Forwarders Warn FAAN To Halt New Charges In Airport Cargo Operations or Risk Rumble in the Sector .
-
Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoOGUN AREA 1 CUSTOMS: Suspected Armed Drug Traffickers Mount Barricades, Attack Officers. Two Personnel Critically Injured.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoWAR AGAINST KILLER DRUGS: Apapa Customs, NDLEA Collaborate To Nab Huge Quantity of ‘Canadian Loud’.
-
Customs2 weeks agoLekki Deepsea Port: The Success Story of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
-
Customs2 weeks agoPTML Customs Hands Over Seized Arms and Ammunition, Collects N44.06bn in January.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoSeme Customs Raids Hideouts, Impounds 200 Bags of Smuggled Rice, Collects N2bn 3 Weeks into 2026.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoNAGAFF Compliance Team Set to Relaunch for Stronger Engagement, Enforcement.