NPA MD ‘COURTS’ MARINERS

The managing director of Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), Mr Habib Abdulahi has lamented the dearth of manpower in the marine unit if the agency, saying that he is prepared to partner with the newly-formed Society of Nigerian Mariners to enhance the capability of the agency’s marine department.
Mr Abdulahi made this disclosure yesterday when executive members of the association led by its chairman, Capt Cosmas Niagwan paid him a courtesy call at the corporate head office of NPA in Marina Lagos.

The managing director of Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), Mr Habib Abdulahi has lamented the dearth of manpower in the marine unit if the agency, saying that he is prepared to partner with the newly-formed Society of Nigerian Mariners to enhance the capability of the agency’s marine department.
Mr Abdulahi made this disclosure yesterday when executive members of the association led by its chairman, Capt Cosmas Niagwan paid him a courtesy call at the corporate head office of NPA in Marina Lagos.
Apparently happy to receive members of the association who were made up of master mariners, marine engineers and retired senior navy officers who have commanded ships, the NPA boss pleaded with them to assist the marine department of the agency.  
“I need your assistance please; I need you to come in and assist in the best way to move forward the marine division, I don’t know how you are going to do it”, he told the delegation.
He expressed the desire to move NPA marine activities back to its old days, even as he challenged mariners to come forward with suggestion and action plans that will enhance the activities of NPA.
He added that if it requires appointing a consultant from among members of the association to revitalise the agency’s marine department.
Earlier, the president of the association, Senator Niagwan who is also a master mariner told the NPA MD that the essence of the association was bring all mariners under one umbrella and that it is willing to partner with NPA to ensure that the organisation fulfills its objectives and responds more appropriately to the needs of stakeholders.
Also speaking, the secretary general of the association, Engr Greg Ogbeifun assured the NPA boss that the association would work with the agency, even as he added that for the association to be of use to the Mr Abdulahi, it has to study what is on ground in NPA and also understands what the managing director desires.  
“For us to be able to come up with ideas, we will need to know what is on ground, we will like to do a bit of due diligence, but more importantly, we will like to know what is in your heart, so that we will be able to articulate a process of taking the situation from where it is to where it’s going”.
On the entourage of the association’s president is a former administrator of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Engr Olu Akinsoji, former president of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariner, Capt Adewale Ishola, among others