Otunba Kunle Folarin (Chairman, Port Consultative Council)
The new NPA management should give urgent attention among others to the following; (1) implementation of the landlord model (2)Review the 5 year Strategic Plan and devise implementation strategies.(3)Work on inter modal transport modes to service the ports for goods and workers movement in and out of the ports. (4)Step up revenue generation models and block leakages. (5)Create sustainable infrastructures in the ports. (6)Engage stakeholders on their needs and workout consensus and solutions. (7)Examine issues of maritime security. (8)Lobby the National Assembly for the passage of the Ports and harbours bill. (8)Pay attention to manpower development to boost the quality of the work force. (9)Ensure the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.(10)Improve the quality of service delivery and port productivity.
Comrade Obinna Okafor (Secretary, NAGAFF at Ikorodu)
It is a welcome arrangement when a woman is occupying such a national post, women have compassion and they can readily carry everybody interest along in making decisions. My agenda for the NPA boss is for her to look into the refusal of terminal operators to transfer overtime containers to Ikorodu. Statutorily, NPA is empowered to transfer the containers when they reach overtime status, but the last NPA boss is so biased and they told us the agency does not have money to do it, whereas importers are willing to pay for the transfer. The NPA should focus on Ikorodu because a lot of money is there for them to generate, they would be generating money while at the same time monitoring and doing their landlord work.
Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni (President, NPA Senior Staff)
In the history of NPA, this is the first time we are having a female as the Managing Director, it is an act of God that she is here and I believe that God can use anybody to transform. She has to put herself down to learn and listen because we have so many things wrong at the Nigerian ports. First is the concession exercise that was carried out in a hurry during Obasanjo regime, she should also look into NPA revenue going into wrong hands through outsourcing of towage services. She should also look into how the terminal operators’ activities would be properly monitored by NPA and look into the dilapidated infrastructures at the port. The terminal operators are bringing in substandard infrastructures that cannot last 10 years. She should also look into and investigate the acquisition of pilot boats and thug boats which were acquired by NPA and given to a third party to manage, they generate so much money and they remit peanuts to NPA. The new MD should also look into a succession plan for NPA because in two years’ time, about 2000 NPA workers would be leaving, the agency is under-staffed.
Capt Deji Abegunde (Ship owner)
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is as complex as Nigeria itself, the political forces behind it is beyond comprehension, therefore, normal reasoning or template cannot work. How can we set agenda for the new MD? It is needless talking about it because she will not listen. What the new MD wrote on NPA website is not the real agenda. The political group that facilitated her appointment has a contrary agenda to the open agenda known to Nigerians while the MD as usual has her own hidden and selfish agenda. The sustainability of NPA is because of the water that is constantly providing the revenue, just because the water is yet to be sold. If not NPA could have since been forgotten like NNSL, Nigeria Airways, Railway Corporation, Odua Group and many others.
Chief Eugene Nweke (Ex-President NAGAFF)
The appointment of a female to head an agency like NPA is to open canker worm and I believe it is one area she needs to work on in order to right the wrongs. There is also the need for her to carry everybody along, with a view to fight corruption because government is also aware that there so many under current at the agency and that was why she had to come in and fight any form anomalies that might exist in NPA. Internal cleansing should be her first port of call as far as I am concern. I wish her well on this appointment.
Alhaji Isiaka Olalere (JCOST)
There is the need for the new MD NPA to hit the ground running, because we are taking about change. We want change for the better and we believe she will perform. What concerns the transporters is the porous nature of our roads connecting the ports. We want her to pay more attention to the road because without good roads I don't think operations of NPA will be healthy. If she can hurriedly fix the roads for the stakeholders and indeed Nigerians will go a long way in assisting NPA's operations.
Dr. Babatunde Samuel (Registrar POTEMAN)
First of all , let me appreciate the federal government for the change of leadership in NPA, because the wind of change is coming to the industry. My piece of advice to her is to focus on revenue drive because the ministry has a target for the agencies. There should be more on revenue generation. She should also focus on our jetties because we have less utilisation of those facilities; there is need for a synergy between NPA and NIWA in the area of our inland water to boost revenue drive as well. Again, in my own view, she should look inward on how some of the jetties can be converted to ICDs because sea mode of transport remains the cheapest means of moving bulk cargoes from place to another. Management under her watch should reconsider a review of the ports concession arrangement with a view to get more revenue for government.
Engineer Matthew Alalade (President Nigeria Merchant Navy)
Our candid advice to the new MD of NPA is to listen and carry the respective unions along. She needs to work with professionals who are well grounded on the operations associated with the authority. What I mean is that she should be able to filter information or advice for her own good. She also needs to carry out on the spot assessment of projects awarded to contractors and get to know how activities at the ports are executed by ways of visitation to the terminals herself to know what is obtainable and above all ensure that welfare of workers is of top priority. However there is the need for her to employ young hands that will replace some of the ageing officers at the agency.
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