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Former President Jonathan and President Buhari Why CTN Was Suspended
- Shipping Lines Make U-turn, Beg
- CTN: Not For Shippers – NSC
There are indications that President Mohammed Buhari (PMB) has recovered $600million (N132billion) to the nation’s treasury through former President Goodluck Jonathan who has visited his successor more than thrice since after exiting office on May 29, 2015.
MMS Plus gathered that PMB had had cause to tell some friends and associates of his who asked him why Jonathan pays him such frequent visits, that “that man (Jonathan) led a simple life as President. He visits when he remembers or has information on monetary dealings done by any of his aides or ministers. And so far, Buhari’s government has recovered about $600million (N132billion) from Jonathan aides through Jonathan’s useful information, “the source noted, adding that the thinking in the presidency now from this development is that many of the public office holders under Jonathan perpetrated corruption using Jonathan, who was ignorant of their dealings as cover up.
The only Jonathan’s visit to the Presidential Villa in recent time reported was that of November 1st, during which their meeting which held behind closed doors at the New Banquet Hall of the State House, lasted for barely ten minutes. Jonathan arrived at about 2:00pm and left at 2:13pm after the meeting.
It was gathered that he visited twice again unreported, providing useful information on fund recovery and war against corruption, which is the sign-post of Buhari’s administration.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Jonathan’s administration stopped the implementation of the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) in 2010, after its take off months after on the advice of some power brokers against it that it would create a problem for shipment of crude oil in the international market and reduce the revenue accruable therefrom, and not that CTN was noted as additional burden to shippers. However, Jonathan approved the re-introduction of CTN in May, 2015, some days before leaving the office.
In a related development, shortly after the foreign shipping lines through their Nigerian operating umbrella association, Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) made some advertorials in newspapers, last week, alleging that the Nigerian Shippers’Council (NSC) had introduced levies on CTN, they came begging the management of the council to forgive them the following day.
According to a text of the advertorial, “SAN members representing the major shipping lines operating in Nigeria would like to bring to the attention of importers and exporters that the implementation of the International Cargo Tracking Note by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, will entail an additional cost for the importers in Nigeria as per letter from the council.
“SAN members wish it to be clear that these additional costs will be eventually paid by the importers in Nigeria,” it added.
Surprisingly, less than 24hours after the advertorial, the chairman of SAN, Chief Val Usifoh, who signed it, came begging on behalf of the liners to forgive their “sins”. He noted that they had erred and should be forgiven and went as far as saying that they would withdraw the suit instituted against NSC by the foreign shipping lines over the abolished N31, 700 illegal Shipping Lines Agency Charges (SLAC).
To puncture the SAN’s claim’s, NSC has reiterated that the listed charges bandied about have nothing to do with the shippers.
According to the Director, Commercial Shipping Services of NSC, Mrs. Dabney Shall-Holma, “CTN as implemented today, has nothing to do with the shipper, that is importing or exporting. CTN comes from payments that are already payable per consignment.”
