BREAKING NEWS

REDEPLOYMENT IN SIFAXGROUP

In view of the recent growth and expansion in the organization, the under-stated change in the management structure of the group had been made to meet with the attendant challenges so that we will continue to deliver excellent services to our numerous customers all over the world in all areas of our operations viz:

Mr. Isaac Orolugbagbe former Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company limited (A member of SIFAX GROUP) has been re-deployed to the Group Head Office as the DIRECTOR OF PROJECT / GROUP SERVICES.

P&CHS ACQUIRES STATE OF THE ART RTGs

The management of Ports and Cargo Handling Services limited, the ports operation arm of SIFAX GROUP, Nigeria has given a delivery order of Ten (10) nos of Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) to KONECRANES FINLAND CORPORATION. The value of the equipment which is quite huge will be delivered to the company’s terminal in Tin-can Island ports by the end of 2012.

The RTG is equipped with a new Konecrane cabin and the latest DGPS-assisted technology for container yard includes the Auto-steering features. This keeps the crane on a Pre-programmed, straight driving path, thus improving safety and increasing productivity. The all-electric, 16-wheel RTG’s had a lifting capacity of 50 Tons stacking 1-over-5 containers high and 7 plus truck lane wide. The investment in this equipment is to increase its yard capacity so as to ease-off increase in container traffic and we are confident that the transition from reach stacker operations to RTG operations will be smooth and efficient.

This further goes to show the commitment of this indigenous terminal operator to deliver the gains of ports concession to the people of Nigeria.

The Vessel is the 1000th vessel to berth

It was celebration galore for the management and the entire members of staff of Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, (P& CHS) on Saturday, April, 23rd, 2011. The occasion marked the sail/berth of a Vessel MSC DIDEM which berthed on Wednesday April 20th, 2011 at precisely 11.35Hrs. The Vessel is the 1000th vessel to berth in the company since its inception in June 2006.

The company is one of the indigenous ports operators which successfully took over the management of Tin can island Ports ( Terminal C) from the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) officially on 10th May, 2006 after the ports concession process.

The event had in attendance the management of Ports & Cargo Handling Services limited led by its Managing Director, Mr. Abubaker O. Hadi and that of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) led by Mr. Nayah. The occasion was used to reel out some of the achievements made and also some of the challenges which the company has been facing in its operations.

The company had invested so far over 65 million Euros to acquire various equipments which enable the organisation to be efficient and effective in its operations. Among these Equipments are Twenty (20) nos. of Full handlers, six (6) nos. of empty Handlers and Four (4) nos. of Liebherr Cranes.

Some of the challenges which the company has been facing include: the bad state of ports access road & multiplicity of government agencies in the ports which slows down cargo delivery process as against what is obtainable in the developed countries of the world. The Feeder Vessel housed One hundred and thirty two numbers of Twenty feet containers (132 x 20 Ft) and One Hundred and sixty One numbers of Forty feet containers (161x 40ft) which brought it to a total numbers of Two Hundred and Ninety Three containers discharged in Tin can Island port Terminal C.

We are On-line Compliant

Sifax Group has dedicated a resourceful research team that has updated all on-line services and operations of the Group so that progressively human contact in the delivery of services will be brought to the lowest level and time management will be enhanced. Moreover, operations at the Group’s terminal have long been fully computerized with digital tracking of cargoes right from the operations office, which has erased the problem and delay of sorting of cargoes in block-stack in terminals. The target is to achieve delivery of cargo in less than 48 hours in the next couple of months and continue moving further to fully make the terminals transit points, rather that storage facilities.

The Nigeria Customs Service had taken off on August 1 with Lagos Port Complex, Apapa as pilot for introduction of on-line cargo clearance in the ports in Nigeria. There has been all assurance that this will work and stakeholders have been urged to cooperate and queue in. At Sifax Group 100% readiness for e-clearance has been achieved as all processes and procedures have been digitalized waiting for networking with other service providers for a complete cycle of on-line operations. Furthermore, other operations of the shipping giant that are progressively going on-line will make for efficiency, convenience and speed.

PRESS RELEASE

Exactly 29 days ago, we informed the whole world through the esteemed fourth realm of government (The Press) that our Company, SIFAX GROUP through its subsidiary, SKYWAY AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LIMITED beat all other bidders to the acquisition of SKYPOWER AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LIMITED, the only surviving subsidiary of now moribund Nigeria Airways by paying the 30% of the bid sum of N 1, 656, 630, 000.00 through ECOBANK draft: 0238400012 at the office of the Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Abuja in fulfillment of the bureau’s instruction to meet the payment term within 15 working days.

I am once again delighted to inform you that at about 09:05 AM today 29th October, 2009 in fulfillment of BPE’s payment term of making the balance 70% payment within 30 working days of the bid, SIFAX GROUP made this 70% balance payment through GT Bank draft no: 00009823 for the sum of N 3, 865, 470, 000 .00 of October 28, 2009 to the BPE in Abuja through the office of the Director General of the Bureau.

In view of the above, SIFAX GROUP through its subsidiary, SKYWAY AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LIMITED has successfully acquired SKYPOWER AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LIMITED (SAHCOL) effective today 29th October, 2009 while awaiting official letter to this effect by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

Introducing Our Customs House: A One Point Operations Pool

In line with the policy of Sifax Group to continue to narrow down operations channels to a small system, easily available and accessible to operators, the organization has completed an operations trading place, called Customs House for faster, more efficient processing of shipments.

All necessary information technology and other work facilitating equipment were provided for the Nigeria Customs Service and all other Government agencies and service providers that operate in the terminal at the modern operations complex. Banking facility, as well as a centralized documentation center is available at the facility that is located within the operations area of Ports and Cargo Handling Services at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos.
This new innovation by the company and quality of service at the terminal has engendered speed and efficiency at cost effective rates that has given Ports and Cargo competitive edge in the global shipping arena.

To Importers and Clients

Through genuine efforts made by Sifax Group, a lot has been achieved to make the ports in Nigeria transit points so that delivery of international trade will be faster, more efficient and at lower costs. There is however, the need to complement the efforts and progress made by Ports and Cargo in terminal operations by urging importers and their agents to see the terminals as transit areas and stop the outdated attitude of turning the ports into warehouses. “We have cargo staying for two to six months at the terminals before importers come to take delivery; this attitude usually leads to increase in the cost of clearance of cargo through rent charges incurred. This also impact negatively on the economy through high costs of commodities, as virtually all costs are passed on to end users”, said the spokesman of Sifax Group, Mr. Olivre Omajuwa.

He noted that “much as we are in business to make money, since inception of Ports and Cargo we have not been having major changes in our tariff as we are conscious of the impact of arbitrary increment in tariff. Ports and Cargo rates are in line with the agreed rates with BPE/NPA and where in most cases we have fractional rates, we charge lower, ignoring the fractions”.

NEW SUBSIDIARIES:

After the recent acquisition of Skypower Handling Company Limited Company, which heralded the entrance of SIFAX GROUP into the Aviation industry, the Group has added two (2 nos.) new subsidiaries thus:

1. SIFAX HAULAGE AND LOGISTICS COMPANY LIMITED. This new subsidiary was formerly operating under Sifax Shipping Company Limited; however, in view of the group’s resolve to continually improve service delivery to it’s numerous clients effectively, the new subsidiary was incorporated with the Corporate Affairs commission on 23rd July, 2010 to carry on business and has since been operating under the leadership of Maj. Henry Ajetunmobi (Rtd.) as the Managing Director.

2. SIFAX OIL AND GAS COMPANY LIMITED. This is a diversification of business for SIFAX GROUP , as this new subsidiary was incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commision on 13th July, 2010 to carry on both on-Shore and off-Shore services.