The immediate past Managing Director, Nigerian Porta Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko has broken his silence following his removal from office last weekend by President Bola Tinubu.
President Tinubu replaced him with Abubakar Dantsoho as the new Managing Director. No reason was given for the sack.
The president has also approved the appointment of Adedayo Adeyeye as Chairman of the Board of the NPA.
And while reacting to his removal, Bello Koko said via his ‘X’ (formerly Tweeter) handle that, “having worked round the clock for the past eight years in the maritime sector, I feel greatly honored to have served the nation in this very important position”.
Reminiscing on his service at the NPA, he said: “From my first appointment as Executive Director of Finance & Administration in mid-2016 to an acting Managing Director and later as the substantive Managing Director, these roles availed me of the opportunity to learn, unlearn, and relearn the ropes of maritime business and master the art of public service.
“It has been a great experience working to build a strong institution that will form the foundation for a number of reforms. In these years, we have leveraged staff development, technology, and equipment renewal to improve user experience in the ports. The result is evident in a productive workplace, improved customer satisfaction, and high remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund”.
“The deployment of the Port Community System and port modernization programme (about to commence) are projects that remain close to my heart as they are catalysts for port efficiency”, he added.
“Today isn’t much about myself, so I congratulate Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, with whom I have high hopes to build on these legacies.
“To the Executive Management and the entire staff members of the Authority, your support and commitment have been incredibly satisfying. Let’s keep the ball rolling!
“At this point, I also recognize in no small measure, the support, learnings, and cooperation of major maritime stakeholders, such as the Terminal Operators, Shipping Companies, Joint Venture Companies, Freight Forwarders, etc without which we would not have witnessed the major developments in the port sector”. Bello Koko stated.
To the media, he said: “I will not forget the unflinching support of my friends in the media that made it possible for the whole world to know what we have done”.
