A former Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Chief Adebayo Sarumi has commended the current management of the agency for living up to the expectations of port reforms measures.
Sarumi gave the commendation during a working visit by the management of the NPA, led by its Managing Director, Mohammed Bello Koko, to the Mission To Seafarers (MTS) office in Apapa last Friday.
Sarumi said the mission was impressed with the leadership of Bello-Koko and encouraged him to continue the good work.
“In the past, we were looking for people to deliver and interpret the port reform for the future. But now the NPA is interpreting it and even surpassing our vision of what a modern port should look like”
Sarumi, who is also the chairman of Mission To Seafarers said that, as at the time when the port reform was conceptualized, the expectation was to have “a port that should be connected internationally and people will be happy doing business in”, even as he declared that, “this management is doing it under Bello-Koko”.
Earlier, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) had pledged to be involved in the renovation of the Mission To Seafarers centre to ensure visiting seafarers have a befitting place.
The NPA Managing Director, said this after inspecting the MTS centre to ascertain the depth of decay.
Bello-Koko promised that the NPA would revamp the centre with the necessary ambience and conducive environment.
He added that seafarers and sailors that come into Nigeria would be treated the same way with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
Bello-Koko said that this would help to increase the rating of Nigeria’s ports.
“We have gone round and have seen the dilapidated nature of the place and this is not what I had expected to see and it is a very sad one.
“What you have seen today is where you expect sailors and seafarers coming in from outside the country to stay, relax and spend some good time, but this is what we have as a nation.
“Seafarers shouldn’t come to Nigeria after spending 30 or 90 days in a vessel and are forced to stay in a vessel for another two or three weeks just because there isn’t the necessary required environment.
“You are going to see activities here very soon. The NPA will give all the necessary support to the mission,” he said.
Bello-Koko that the mission to seafarers was a recognised body worldwide set up in the 1800s and the essence of the mission was to take actions relevant and necessary to the welfare of seafarers and their mental wellbeing.
“They have been doing quite well and a good job but in recent times, things changed and we have had discussions with the mission and we felt there is a need for NPA to get involved in renovation of this place.
“In every country, it is the maritime community that should have interest in the development of this kind of facility. In Nigeria, everything practically revolves around the port authority and probably a few stakeholders,” he said.
Bello-Koko said that as regard seafarers’ welfare, NPA was coordinating with not just the association but with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and other stakeholders in the industry.
On the relevance of seafarers in the supply value chain, Bello-Koko said that without seafarers there would be no shipping and supply which means there would be a break.
“Seafarers are responsible for the movement of cargo, they spend three months in the sea from one location to the other, so that means they are integral part of the supply chain in the maritime industry, therefore, their welfare should be paramount.
“The mission is responsible for this and we appreciate them for this. This is what is in every country that has maritime activities and seaports in the world.
“This used to be one of the best in the world and we can see the current state of it, so we thank the mission chairman for bringing this up for us to look at it,” he said.
shippingposition
Kindly like us on Facebook/twitter
