NPA Says There Is No Conflict Of Functions Between The Two Agencies
By Asuquo Nuwak
NPA Says There Is No Conflict Of Functions Between The Two Agencies
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has assured the stakeholders that there will be no conflict of interest between the two agencies under the new Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory framework.
The assurance was given following fears expressed by stakeholders over the possible duplication of responsibilities between Nigerian Ports Authority, which manages Nigeria’s port infrastructure and operations, and NPERA, which has assumed the role of economic regulator for the ports sector.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications and Strategy of the NPA, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, gave the assurance during an interaction with executives of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria ( SCAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
According to him, the NPA and other agencies had been involved in the review of the legislation establishing the new regulatory framework before it was transmitted for presidential assent, thus providing an opportunity to examine its provisions and identify areas that could result in overlapping responsibilities.
Onyemekara said the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had consistently encouraged agencies under the ministry to work together and ensure that their respective mandates complement one another in the interest of the maritime sector.
He said the Honourable Minister, and by extension the Managing-Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, has tried to make all the agencies under him to work in harmony.
Additionally, he said he was aware that before the bill was sent, all the agencies came together by the directive of the Minister, to look at all the clauses, and NPA made sure that there are no overlaps.
The NPA spokesman stressed that the objective of the federal government was to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the nation’s ports, rather than create confusion among government agencies.
Ikechukwu Onyemekara who reaffirmed that there is no cause for alarm, also pointed out that it is a good thing, while adding that the Nigerian Ports Authority do not have any problem with it.
He further stated that government can not come and introduce something that will cause chaos in the system, rather they want to make the industry work better.
Meanwhile, the NPA has disclosed that preparations have reached an advanced stage for the commencement of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Lagos ports, with construction expected to begin at the Apapa port.
Aside from this Onyemakara said the Authority is currently sensitising communities around the affected areas ahead of the commencement of construction.
Ikechukwu Onyemekara is quoted as saying that: “We are currently doing some sensitisation for communities around that area. Because once the construction starts, we are going to get a lot of noise. So it is important to notify the community about what we are doing”.
He added that the rehabilitation work will be carried out in phases to prevent a complete shutdown of port operations.
He pointed out that the work would be carried out either berth-by-berth or terminal-by-terminal, to allow vessels to continue calling at the ports, while construction is ongoing.
In his words: “The reconstruction work is going to be in phases because we don’t want to close the whole port. It’s going to be either by berth or by terminal, so that we will still be receiving vessels as the construction itself is going on”.
In response to the calls from youths living around the port communities to benefit from employment opportunities during the rehabilitation, the NPA spokesman said
it was not out of place for residents of the affected communities to benefit from some of the jobs that would arise during the project, particularly menial and part-time jobs.
In his words: “There will not be opportunities to get some field workers and all that from that area. I’m sure it will be part of it because they will need people to do certain levels of either menial jobs or part-time jobs in those places”.
In addressing complaints that the Ministry and NPA have continued to concentrate port development in Lagos, Onyemakara said rehabilitation plans also cover ports in the Eastern part of the country.
Still, he said the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy had recently announced that approvals had been secured for the rehabilitation of the Eastern ports.
According to the report, the intervention was part of the broader government plan to improve port infrastructure across the country, rather than concentrate development in Lagos.
In the light of this, he recalled that very recently, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy announced that the same rehabilitation and approvals have also been secured for Eastern ports, adding that by and large, Eastern ports are also included in the rehabilitation work.
Furthermore, he said although the Eastern ports may currently not enjoy the same level of patronage as the Lagos ports, but they remain strategically important because they serve communities and industries in their respective regions.
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