Contrary to insinuations in some quarters that the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), despite the assurance by its Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, that the authority made over N250 billion last year, the document is almost ready for public view.
This was the position of a top official of the agency who pleaded anonymity in a telephone interview.
The official noted that “This administration at NPA is very interested in issues of public finance management and will not attempt to hide anything for the public. There are few issues that are being tidied up in the document before its release.
According to the official, “Nigerians and industry players should not be worried over the delay, rather look out for the document which has to pass several processes and due diligent tests before release.
A clearing agent, Kelvin Olisa, had noted in a news report that “The NPA MD has promised the industry transparency but is there any transparency in her decision not to release the agency’s revenue profile when she promised to do that herself?
She promised to release it before the end of December. But now we are towards the end of January.”
While calling for early release of the document containing its revenue profile if it has nothing to hide, other freight forwarders’ wondered why NPA should withhold its revenue till now in an administration that preaches transparency.
Besides, the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Abdullahi Goje was quoted as saying that “It’s only the Finance and Administration Directorate or Audit Division of the authority that could give the revenue of the authority”.
Though checks at FAD department of the NPA showed that all efforts are being made to do the needful in no distant time, it would be recalled that the managing director, Bala Usman had during his first hundred days in office made it clear that her leadership will be transparent and seamless in dealing with public finance.
