By Seun Ibiyemi

The Director, General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) through its Executive Director on Maritime Labour and Cabotage Service, Mr. Jibril Abba has constituted an NJIC committee to start with immediate effect the already elapsed Dockworkers Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the year 2023/2024.

The President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) under the leadership of Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who was present in the meeting thanked the NIMASA DG, Dr. Dayo Mobereola for the gesture.

The NJIC committee on the Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) is expected to do thorough work on the new CBA.

The meeting which was held Monday, 29th April, 2024 was at NIMASA Corporate Headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.

…as Tinubu’s aide makes clarifications on FG’s announcement

By Seun Ibiyemi

Maersk has debunked the Federal Government’s claim that the Danish shipping conglomerate had promised to bring an additional $600 million worth of investment into Nigeria.

According to Lloyd’s List, an online publication, the reported $600 million investment appears to be news to Maersk.

Lloyd’s List disclosed that Robert Maersk Uggla, chairman of A.P Moller Maersk met with President Bola Tinubu over the weekend, but did not sign a new investment deal with him.

It further revealed that despite a statement from Ajuri Ngelale, spokesperson of Tinubu detailing how the president had secured the purported investment during a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, Maersk officials have confirmed that no such agreement is in place and no deals have been signed.

According to Maersk, that reported deal does not exist.

Company officials said while Uggla did meet President Tinubu, no such deal had been signed.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to developing opportunities for growth to people, the port sector, and businesses locally,” the company said in a statement to Lloyd’s List.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks,” the company officials stated.

Reports had it that Tinubu secured a $600 million investment from Danish shipping giant, A.P Moller-Maersk to expand Nigeria’s port infrastructure.

The report disclosed that the investment is part of a broader strategy to enhance the capacity of Nigerian ports to handle larger container ships, thus boosting trade and economic growth.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun providing clarity to the situation wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page that “The government’s statement does not allude to or state that there was a signed agreement, rendering the article’s attempt to draw a parallel between contract signing and verbal agreement misleading and based on a false equivalence.”

“Many individuals may have overlooked the details of the initial FGN press statement and failed to juxtapose it with the subsequent Maersk statement, leading to a misinterpretation of both narratives.

“The government’s statement does not allude to or state that there was a signed agreement, rendering the article’s attempt to draw a parallel between contract signing and verbal agreement misleading and based on a false equivalence.

“The FG statement cites direct quotes from the Maersk chairman during the meeting attended by senior officials from both sides, in which he speaks to what his investment commitment will achieve once implemented, enhancing the FG press release’s credibility. Essentially, the Federal Government’s release accurately encapsulated both the spirit and substance of the proposed investment collaboration.

“Finally, Maersk’s response subtly reveals the situation’s complexity, acknowledging its regulatory constraints during a quiet period preceding its quarterly financial report. This period restricts the extent to which it can divulge information about ongoing negotiations to avoid potential penalties related to stock manipulation—a concept familiar to those versed in corporate communications for publicly listed entities.

“Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management is in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.

“The second paragraph confirms Maersk’s cautious approach, neither refuting the government’s statement nor affirming it outright. Instead, they navigate the delicate balance between compliance and transparency, alluding to the constraints imposed by regulatory obligations.

“In essence, while some may seek to amplify insignificant details, it’s imperative to approach the matter with meticulous understanding. To preempt regulatory issues, Maersk could have advised the government against publicising meeting specifics until after the release of their financial results. This precaution would mitigate the risk of inadvertently breaching regulatory protocols.

“Making a mountain out of a molehill is a futile exercise!” he said.

By Jeleel Olawale

The Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday disclosed that he is the first executive Governor of Osun State to practice both Islam and Christianity.

Adeleke made this known while answering questions at the public enlightenment tagged IPADE IMOLE, second edition held in Ilesa.

According to him, “I go to the mosque and church to worship God. I believe that we worship the same God and there must be no room for religious bigotry and dichotomy.”

The governor, who jokingly said he would soon become Alhaji and Prophet, added that all religions would be taken care of in his administration. He assured both Christians and Muslims in the state that no religion would be neglected in the delivery of dividends of democracy.

Adeleke promised Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council that it would further enjoy assistance of the present administration with a view to make their work easier, urging them to be objective and truthful in their reportage.

He said his administration has done a lot in the area of infrastructure development, workers welfare, pensioners, education, women affairs, health sector, cooperative and empowerment, among others.

He promised the people of the state to continue to support government efforts in changing the face of the state. The governor also flagged-off dualisation of Ilesa-brewery Akure express road and fly-over at roundabout, Ilesa.