Task Before New NPA MD, Bayero
John Iwori highlights the key areas maritime industry stakeholders’ expect the new Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero to give priority attention.
Speculation about the removal of the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Alhaji Habib Abdullahi started when he was barely one year in office. Then the rumours of his removal were so rife that some staff members discussed it in hushed tones in NPA House, Marina, Lagos. Though no worker of the authority was willing to speak about it publicly, many stakeholders in the maritime industry started arguing that if there is any iota of truth in the rumour, it would not be long before there is another change of baton in the multi-billion naira federal government agency. The situation was not helped by the alleged rift between Abdullahi and the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Audu Umar. At a point, it was believed that one of aides of Umar will replace Abdullahi before the end of 2014. When the year ended without any change of leadership in the Federal Ministry of Transport parasatal, some stakeholders started the 2015 with the erroneous belief that the plot to remove Abdullahi has ended.
However as days turned into weeks and weeks into months, it was clear that the battle to unseat Abdullahi from the coveted seat has not ended. However, no one knew exactly what form and shape it will take just as the date was also unknown. But the wait ended penultimate Wednesday when President Goodluck Jonathan, in a terse statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Rueben Abati, said Abdullahi had been relieved of his appointment and Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero, a lawyer was appointed to succeed him.
The Presidential spokesman said the appointment of the new NPA chief executive was with immediate effect. Although the reason for his removal was not known, Jonathan thanked Abdullahi for his services while he was in the saddle and wished him well in his new endeavours.
Already, Bayero who is the first son of the late Emir of Kano has taken over the reins of administration at NPA House. At a brief handover ceremony last week Bayero said he hoped to work at his best with the staff for the benefit of the nation.
His words: “I hope we work together for the interest of the country because I know that anything that affects this place will affect the larger society. We will put in efforts to undertake programmes that will grow the authority through togetherness. I solicit for your support. I wish the out-going Managing Director the best. We will always consult because it is good to consult someone who has been there”.
The prince also used the occasion to commend President Jonathan for appointing him as the new Managing Director of NPA. In spite of Bayero’s promise to deliver, it must be noted that he need to take a look at key areas where his tenure as the helmsman of NPA will be hinged. For him to succeed, he must hit the ground running. Port Access Roads
That the access roads to the nation’s seaports situated in Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Sapele, and Warri are in deplorable condition is an understatement. Instead of improving, the roads are getting worse every day. How can NPA achieve its port efficiency and actualise its dream of becoming a hub in the West and Central Sub-Regions if poor port access roads? A lot need to be done to give the port access roads a facelift. Though multi-million naira contracts have been awarded by the federal government in time past, it is Bayero’s lot to ensure that these contracts are not only properly executed but also strictly carried out in line with the terms of the agreement. Already, the poor access roads have added to the gridlock to Nigeria’s premier port situated at Apapa. Stakeholders have not ceased to use every forum to lament their huge losses as a result of the poor traffic in Apapa. It must be noted that the protracted gridlock on Apapa ports roads, which worsened a fortnight ago has continued to take a toll on the federal government and relevant stakeholders with daily revenue loss hitting over N5 billion.
Besides hampering free movement of goods and humans with tanker drivers converting major access roads into Apapa ports to parking lots, containers which ought to have been cleared and evacuated from the ports still litter various terminals accumulating demurrage in the process.
It has also led to frightening revenue losses as charges, which ought to have been collected by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other government agencies, terminal operators, among others, have drastically reduced in the last one week. The new helmsman of NPA must not fold his hands and watch things deteriorate further. He must act fast to arrest the chaos in the nation’s seaports. Appointments
It will be strange if Bayero did not make fresh appointments. His predecessors did it shortly after they took over the reins of administration. Some of the appointments include his immediate aides and other strategic positions in the authority. These appointees will enable him succeed in the onerous task ahead. Nevertheless, in carrying out these fresh appointments, Bayero should allow merit and competence to guide him. He should ensure that round pegs are put into round holes. If he fails to do so, failure will be staring him in his face at the end of the day. This is due to the fact that those who have nothing tangible and significant upstairs to offer in terms of their qualifications, experience and exposure, will not be able to deliver on set goals and objectives. At the end of the day, it is the new MD that will carry the bear the blame. Workers’ Welfare
Bayero must take the welfare of staff seriously. It is instructive to note that the two main unions’ leaders in NPA spoke glowing of Abdullahi at the brief handover ceremony. It must be noted that the unionists did not do so for nothing. Abdullahi did everything possible to meet their needs. Bayero must toe the same line as the two main unions in the authority do not hesitate to down tools if they do not have the listening ears of the authority management. In meeting the needs of the present workers of the authority, Bayero and his management team must not forget erstwhile workers of NPA who are yet to collect their terminal benefits. Some of them have lost their lives while waiting to collect their pension and gratuities. A yet-to-be estimated number of former employees of the authority, who are still alive have been ejected from their homes due to the fact that they could not pay their rents. Some of them have been thrown of out of medical facilities because of their inability to offset their bills. The story of their wards and children in schools are not different. They have been thrown out of school because the school authorities can no longer listen to their persistent plea that their parents should be given more time to raise the fees.
The new MD and his management team should take special note of the 1991 retirees of the authority. These categories of former employees took NPA to court at the Federal High Court, Lagos and won. NPA went to the Court of Appeal to contest the judgement of the lower court. Again, the retirees floored NPA as the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Federal High Court. As if that was not enough, NPA went to the Supreme Court. Again, the retirees won. As if it was snubbing the highest court in the land, the entitlements of the former workers of the authority have not been fully paid till date. The new MD of NPA should not allow this to continue. These former employees of the authority should not be treated as if they did not work in NPA in the first place. The new man in the saddle should do everything within his powers to address the demands of the retirees. Greenfield Port Development
One area the Bayero can create a legacy is in the Greenfield development. Some of the projects under the Greenfield port development plan include the building of new ports in Bagary and Lekki, Lagos State; Ibeno, Akwa Iboom, State; Agge, Bayelsa State, and Ogidigben, Delta State. He should spearhead the implementation of the master plan to develop Greenfield seaport terminals as well as further expansion of port infrastructure that will support the huge inflow of cargoes into the country.
These projects are at different stages. While some have gone beyond the embryonic levels, some such as the ones in Akwa Ibom State including the one by Port Notel, which is being driven by private investors led by Mr. Victor Akpanikan and Lekki have gone far. Bayero and his management team should take a fresh look at them with a view to ensure that they do not turn out be white elephant projects. He should prioritise them and ensure that they do not constitute another avenue to drain tax payers’ money. This is vital due to the fact that as a result of the port reforms, the authority is no longer in charge of the day-to-day running of the nation’s seaports. The port concession programme gave cargo-handling powers to private investors while the management of
the authority remains the landlord. Port Users’ Clamour
Many port users, particularly importers and licensed customs agents, have lampooned the agreement signed between the concessionaires and the federal government through the management of NPA. They specifically decried a situation where the federal government looks the other way while the private terminal operators engage in endless arbitrary increase in their services. They alleged that there are some cases where the concessionaires even charge for services they did not render. This has given credence to the strident clamour for an independent regulator in the maritime industry. It has now become the lot of Bayero to ensure the successful implementation of the internal restructuring of the authority besides the establishment of an independent regulator to serve as an arbiter in the nation’s seaports among other roles and responsibilities.
As a lawyer, he is expected to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the discharge of his roles and responsibilities. In the months ahead therefore, not a few stakeholders in the maritime industry will like to see whether the NPA helmsman live up to the expectations of his office. Banana Peels
There is no doubt that there are banana peels in NPA House. If Bayero is in doubt, he should ask his predecessors. He must only identify these banana peels but also do everything possible to avoid them throughout his tenure. One of the ways to avoid the banana peels is to keep sycophants within and outside the authority at bay. These are the people who choose to always tell him what he chooses to hear in a bid to protect their own overt or covert interests in the short or long run. They will never tell him than what he is doing wrong need for it to be amended. They will always praise him to high heavens, pointing out with excitement how he has turned around the fortunes of NPA in the few weeks or months he has occupied the seat as the MD. In their visits and public functions, they will always praise the MD for the strides he has made. Besides, the high praise, Bayero should note that there is underlying interests. These interests are in most cases at variance with public interests. It takes a discerning mind to understand the intricacies in the maritime industry. This is one of the reasons why he should not be carried away. He must remain firm and decisive in the discharge of his roles and responsibilities. Last line
No doubt, the new NPA MD has a huge burden on his shoulders. He should do everything possible to carry all stakeholders along in the scheme of things. One of the ways he can excel is to set a goal for himself. This is vital since he cannot address all the ills in the system in his tenure. What does he want to achieve in one month’s time? What does he want to achieve in one or two years? His predecessor attained e-payment in two years in saddle as NPA MD. In two years or more, what will Bayero and his team achieve? These and many more issues will engage Bayero and his team in the team in next few days or weeks.