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Nigeria moves to re-open borders with Benin Republic, signs 12-point communique

Published

10 months ago

July 27, 2023

In line with the Federal Government’s drive to facilitate trade and improve Nigeria’s economy to become globally competitive, a delegation of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), led by the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has paid a working visit to the Republic of Benin and signed a 12-point communique which aims to fully re-open the border between both countries, a statement signed on Tuesday by National Spokesman of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada revealed.

According to the Customs statement, “The Ag. CGC and his delegation visited the Nigerian Embassy on Monday, 24th of July and met with Ambassador Kayode Aluko, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin.

“Thereafter, they were received by the Director General of the Customs Administration in Benin, Mr. Alain Hinkati, Customs partners Webb Fontaine and Benin Control.

“They also visited Customs facilities at the port of Cotonou, where the Ag. CGC was taken through the processes and operations at the port.”

During the visit, the two chiefs engaged with stakeholders from both countries and their concerns were identified and effectively considered.

Notable among the concerns is the request to review the possibilities of reopening the border, as well as addressing the issue of administrative charges.

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According to the Ag. CGC, “The visit is to deepen collaborations in mutually positive areas.

“The objective of the visit is for us to review friendship with the Customs administration of Benin and also to deepen collaborations in areas of common interest.”

“I saw the attention that was given to the port of Cotonou, the progress that is being made in reducing clearance time, ensuring that there is no congestion at the Port and, more importantly, using technology to drive operations of the Customs Administration”, he said.

“The attempt which Benin Customs has done towards trade facilitation is something that Nigeria Customs will also be doing particularly to look at where we can use our processes to reduce the cost and time of doing business.”

At the end of the meeting, a joint communique signed by the two delegations read as follows:

“The continuation of efforts to promote the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the facilitation of the movement of goods and community products in particular;

“Facilitation of the issue of Laisse passe for a short stay in one of the countries of means of transport registered in the other country;

“The removal of barriers and other obstacles to legitimate trade and the establishment of Customs units when the traffic justifies it;

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“Strict compliance with transit rules;

“Harmonization of the list of products prohibited by the two countries;

“The rapid integration of Nigeria into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT), which already includes the Customs Administrations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo;

“Strengthening the fight against cross-border crime through cooperation, intelligence sharing and the pooling of resources;

“Holding meetings twice a year to discuss matters of common interest;

“The reactivation of the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations;

“The revival of consultation frameworks of border customs units with the active participation of the private sector;

“Promoting good relations with border populations, professionalism and tax compliance;

“and securing the international supply chain.”

Meanwhile, the Ag. CGC and his delegation had a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Benin, his Excellency Mr. Patrice TALON, on Sunday, 23rd of July, expressing the desire to initiate a new turning point marked by close collaboration in all areas.

Related Topics:Benin Republic communique Featured Nigeria

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Lagos Govt insists no attachment to shops, buildings

Published

52 mins ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Lagos Govt insists no attachment to shops, buildings

Lagos State Government has maintained its zero-tolerance stance against illegal construction of extensions and attachments to shops and buildings in any part of the state.

General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, an architect, stated this.

He spoke at a multi-agency enforcement carried out to remove extensions and attachments affixed to shops and plazas within the Lagos Island Central Business.

The action, he said, would bring about safety and orderliness to the markets and streets in the area.

A statement by Olaoye Olusegun, Director of Public Affairs at LASBCA, quoted Oki as saying those extensions affixed to shops and buildings within the area were constituting nuisance and a hindrance to rescue operations during emergencies.

He cited the case of fire outbreak in Mandilas building where first responders such as the state fire and rescue services could not access the burning building due to blockage of the roads and streets by traders with their extensions and attachments.

He told all owners of shops and business premises with extensions/ attachments to remove them immediately.

Oki disclosed that the removal exercise would be continuous and extended to other parts of the state.

He stressed that Lagos State would no longer tolerate the level of lawlessness going on in the commercial areas, especially Lagos Island where every available space was being converted to shops extending to the roads.

Oki also frowned on the practice of mounting diesel and petrol generators on rooftops, penthouses and iron staircases of shops and plazas within commercial centres.

The multi-agency exercise comprising the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Central Business Districts and Lagos State Environmental Services amongst others, witnessed the removal of attachments to shops around Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Dosunmu, Ereko, Eyin Eyo, Martins, Balogun and its adjoining streets.

The removal is part of the recommendations of the Dosunmu Fire Incident Committee headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Gbenga Oyerinde.

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BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have picket the headquarters of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) along Ahmadu way in the metropolis.

The sealing of office was carried out by Plateau chapter of NLC and TUC officials in compliance with the directive of the Organised Labour over the hike in Electricity Tariff.

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It was gathered that workers of the electricity company were locked out by an enforcement team as early as 6:30 a m.

According to The Nation, Jos Disco spokesman Dr. Friday Elijah said: ” The office of JED has been picketed. We were locked out, when we came to the office. It has been sealed, nobody is allowed to entered, even my self ( the spokesman) and the chief security officer also outside.

All of us came this morning for work, we were locked out. The office has been picketed and sealed.

The chairman of Plateau chapter of NLC, Comrade Eugene Manji, the place has been picket and sealed in compliance with the directive of our National headquarters.

BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

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Socialite declared wanted over murder, cyber stalking

Published

3 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Dorcas Adeyinka

Socialite declared wanted over murder, cyber stalking

Nigerian Police has declared Dorcas Adeyinka, a Lagos socialite and blogger, wanted for alleged cyberstalking, kidnapping, and murder, among other things.

Police declare UK-based Nigerian blogger wanted - SolaceBase Police advised the public to “arrest and give over the suspect to the nearest police station or the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja.”

The police also characterized Adeyinka as a married female Yoruba blogger from Ekiti State and Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

She is estimated to be 1.64m tall, with an oval face, tribal markings, a pointed nose, a wide mouth, full and white dentition, and a light complexion with black eyes.

The police further stated that she lives in the United Kingdom and frequently visits Ikeja, Ogudu, and Fagba in Lagos State, as well as Otta and Sango in Ogun State.

According to reports, a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, summoned two social media users for allegedly defaming Adeyinka by publishing her nude photo online.

According to the court summons dated Thursday, May 9, 2024, obtained by our correspondent, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered the two defendants, Tolulope Adeoye, aka Abike Jagaban, and Tolulope Odegbami, aka Olowosibi, to appear in person before the court on June 4, 2024, to answer the charges leveled against them by the complainant.

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The summons stemmed from a criminal complaint filed by the complainant’s lawyers, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Law Corridor, an Abuja-based law company. The socialite accused the defendants of posting her naked photo on social media and mocking her.

The application partly read, “On March 5, 2022, Abike Jagaban shared the complainant’s nude pictures on YouTube, directing her followers to different online platforms where the complainant’s pictures were/are shared and ridiculed the complainant in the process.

“The video was captioned, ‘Abike Jagaban on Dorcas Adeyinka, aka TMS Blog.’ These actions have exposed the complainant to contempt, hatred, and detestation, as some people can be seen making disparaging remarks against the complainant in the comment section of the above-referenced post.

“Abike Jagaban has also bullied the complainant in another video titled, ‘How Abike Jagaban bullied Dorcas Adeyinka,” among others.”

The complainant informed the court that the defendants’ claimed activities constituted criminal defamation and violated Section 391 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, in suit number CR/93/2024 with motion number MN/140/2024, Magistrate Iyanna directed the complainant to serve the defendants with the criminal summons and all subsequent court processes through their social media handles or pages, @Tolulope Omolara Ghaba (Facebook) and @Princess Tolulope Ajike Olowosibi (Facebook).

The magistrate adjourned the case to June 4, 2024, and ordered that the two defendants appear in court on that date.