Restriction of importation of rice by Costom in trade free zones

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller-General,Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has restricted rice import in trade free zones.

Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr. Joseph Attah, made this known to reporters in Abuja at the weekend.

He said the restriction became necessary because some operators were taking undue advantage of the trade zone, which allows them to import some quantity of rice.

“So, if we block the land borders and allow operators of free trade zone to bring in rice through the seaports, then our efforts at the land borders will be in vain,” he said.

He said smuggling is a crime like armed robbery,, urging Nigerians to treat it so.

On efforts by the NCS in tackling smuggling, Attah said: “We have the commands  covering those border lines. We also have the federal operation units that cover these land borders and to build another layer of policing, we have what we call the compliance team.

“It might interest you to know that this compliance team headed by an Assistant Comptroller, Musa Jalo, made a total of 921 seizures with a duty paid value of over N1billion. Most of these seizures are rice and vehicles.

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Mercedes-Benz introduces Accelo

Mercedes-Benz has launched a new medium duty truck for city and short distance operations. The all-new Accelo 915C is the first Mercedes-Benz compact truck.

According to Weststar Associates Limited, authorised distributors of Mercedes-Benz commercial and passenger vehicles in Nigeria, the Accelo was unveiled due to the growing demand by various businesses to increase revenue and productivity while maintaining reduced overhead costs

This 4X2 truck would be a great delight to construction, haulage and distribution industries as it offers high value for money, great maneuverability and suitable comfort for any transport challenge, the company said.

The Accelo provides high load capacity via its rear axle as it boasts a payload of over five tonnes. With a Gross Vehicle Weight of nine tons, the very adaptable Accelo allows fitting of superstructures (of up to 6.5 meters long), such as tank for liquids/gases, tipper, dry cargo, waste compactor, cesspit emptier, standard aluminum truck, box body and even bodies for the distribution of beverages.

It is equipped with a 150HP four-cylinder Euro 3 engine equipped with a five-speed manual transmission.  For a safer driving experience, the Accelo is equipped with a pneumatic, dual circuit disc brake system to guarantee accurate responses while in everyday urban traffic. The all-new Accelo comes with a load-sensing valve and anti-Lock brakes to enhance safety by preventing unwanted locking of rear wheels.

“It’s ruggedness, driver comfort, payload and easy body mounting are unique features that set it apart from other commercial vehicles, thus making it a perfect cost-effective tool for demanding fleets in the private and public sectors.  In addition to being backed up by our well-established maintenance and parts network, there is no doubt that the Mercedes-Benz Accelo will contribute to the fast growth of the Nigerian economy,” Mirko Plath Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Weststar Associates Limited said.

‘’Its passenger car-like dashboard gives the driver full overview of the most vital driving information on the instrument cluster. Other key features include ergonomic seats for two passengers and a driver, air conditioning, power windows, power steering and a central seat with a three-point seatbelt. These features help ensure a high level of occupant safety, excellent visibility, driver productivity and alertness.’’

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Xenophobia: Nigeria, South Africa set up early warning centre

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Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama says Nigeria and South Africa have set up a 24-hour early warning system to protect Nigerians from unwarranted attacks.

Onyeama said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that Federal Government was ready to intervene.

“Wherever any Nigerian is threatened or in difficulty, we will always intervene quickly, an example of this was in Italy, you will recall last year or the year before there was a Nigerian who was attacked and killed.

“We quickly engaged with Italian Government and really took all the necessary steps, arresting people and pay compensation to the family. So we will always engage to protect Nigeria lives wherever they may be.

“We are hoping now to set up a 24-hour call centre so that Nigerians anywhere in the world can call a particular number whenever they are in distress,”

He said that the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa had been directed to facilitate legal support to help the victims of recent xenophobic attacks in the country to get their compensations.

The minister said that the victims of the attacks had been advised to make inventory of their losses through a mechanism that had been created, known as the early warning unit.

“What we have done is that we visited the scenes of these attacks; we spoke to victims, we saw their businesses and we advised them to make an inventory of their losses.

“And, that the mechanism we have created, the early warning unit, what will then happened is that they should submit all their claims through the Nigerian High Commission to be presented at a high level meeting to push the issue of compensation.

“First of all we have to see what the insurance laws provide and really take it from there; the important thing is that this should be addressed.

“We also asked the high commission to facilitate with legal support, to identifying lawyers and all that to help in the process.

Onyeama decried attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and India which sometimes led to death and expressed concern that the South African situation was more troubling because it often re-occurred.

“We have engaged directly with the highest levels of government of South Africa. The Vice President of South Africa spoke with the Acting President at the time

“I went to South Africa with the Minister of Interior and we were able to get the South African Government to set up an early warning unit.

“We wanted an institutional mechanism that will address the issue of xenophobia in South Africa.’’

Onyeama said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the fact that the Nigerian Union in South Africa did not have any access to the South African Government.

He said the Nigerian community felt it was at the mercy of the South African police.

“We were able to get the early warning unit, comprising the Nigerian High Commission there and the Nigerian Consulate but most importantly, the Nigerian Union in South Africa.

“On the South African side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs which is in charge of the police and the police.

“They will be meeting regularly to share intelligence, share information, build trust and develop strategies for early warning intervention.

“We thought that was a very important achievement; it is institutionalised, they meet once every quarter or they could meet earlier,” he said.

The minister said that he had directed the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa to arrange the first meeting as quickly as possible.

He expressed the hope that the step would go a long way to address the situation.

Onyeama described the attack on Nigerians in India as a one-off thing because it was a response to a particular incident.

He said what was gratifying about the Indian case was that the Indian Government was very quick in condemning and arresting suspects. (NAN)

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Aftermath of Nigeria’s Absence in Tunis: We’re killing sports talents in Nigeria – Oshonaike

Olufunke Oshonaike is not happy that her efforts to impact on young people are going down the drain following the inability of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to sponsor Team Nigeria to the 2017 ITTF African Junior Championship in Tunis, Tunisia.

The African champion was heart-broken when she heard about the development.

Venting her displeasure on her facebook, Oshonaike said: “I was in Lagos in February for Funke Oshonaike Table Tennis Foundation. I invited about 30 talented players in Nigeria for 10 days clinic and competition. With the help of Frot Group and some other support, I was able to accommodate, feed and clothed all of them for the seven-day clinic. I had the best time of my life because I was once like them and I loved them all. I spent about N1m only for the competition.

“Now, some of the kids are now supposed to be in Tunisia for the Africa Junior Championships starting on April 9 but can’t make it because the sports ministry could not get the funds on time. Imagine the players are headed home now because all flights to Tunis are fully booked. I got tired of complaining and that was why I left my job and family to come to Nigeria to give hope and smile to the talented kids,” she regretted.

“Why is it so hard for Nigeria to make the dream of all these children come true? Don’t they know that these children are our future? Why are some people killing talents and the future of our young ones in Nigeria? Above all why am I not a multi-millionaire so that I can take care of these future champions more without waiting for any ministry? For how long will Nigeria keep breaking my heart because of my love for my country? I’m totally hurt and heartbroken,” a disappointed Oshonaike said.

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