Another look at Bello-Koko’s performance at NPA in 2022, beyond
Whereas in the last couple of months, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohamed Bello-Koko has been running a failed fictitious media battle to embarrass his glowing image, the master port administrative tactician has continued to maintain and run an open administration that gives premium to due process in the execution of the agency’s core mandates.
In a recent media appearance, he averred that “Our performances have been recently validated by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), which adjudged the NPA on my watch as a Platinum Level Organization, consequent upon the deployment of its Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) in the NPA for the independent assessment, validated assessment and in-depth analysis of processes and practices of the agency.
Flowing from the assessment, the BPSR had returned a verdict of “exceptional performance by the NPA with a performance level of 91.25 percent.”
According to the Director General of BPSR, D.I. Arabi, “This means that NPA’s performance far exceeded expectations due to exceptionally high quality of work in all essential areas of responsibility, resulting in an overall quality of work that is superior, exceptional or unique.”
For the record, the NPA on my watch has specifically, in terms of tangible achievements that the various publics can relate with, recorded some modest achievements.
The NPA has generated the sum of N286 billion and remitted over N100 billion to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account of the federation as of November 2022.
The NPA has renewed the concession leases of five terminal operators who would be more responsible for the maintenance of Quays, Fenders, and allied matters such as port illumination.
The agency has approved the upgrade of infrastructure at Terminal ‘B’, Berths 7 and 8, Onne Port Complex based on Messrs WACT Nigeria Limited’s proposal for investment exceeding USD 110 Million over a period of two years. The overall progress on all ongoing works is 75% as of end of October.
We have increased container holding capacity at Rivers arising from conversion of unused space within PTOL Terminal into stacking area.
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To improve communication and navigational safely, we have provided and installed Eighty-Six (86) number Buoys for Warri and Calabar Pilotage Districts and have Completed the modernization of Control Towers at Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port which were built in the 1970s.
We have also installed one hundred and eighty (180 Nos) Marine Fenders on all Quays Authority Wide for safe berthing.
Our achievements also include:
Completion of the construction of 6,000 metric tonnes Bitumen Tank in Rivers Port Complex to improve the company’s bitumen storage capacity which will ease their operations and have impact on the infrastructure development of the South-South.
Provision of 24 motorcycles deployed in aid of effective monitoring of Truck E-Call Up operation at Apapa/TCIPC/Ijora axis to ease free flow of traffic.
Enforcement of full compliance of trucks to E-Call Up regime and Minimum Safety Standard resulting in significant reduction in the traffic gridlock along the main Port corridor and the internal access roads through enforcements, proper batching, continuous access control mechanisms and movement of cargo via barge operations.
Licensing of additional truck parks to increase capacity of truck parks servicing the Lagos Ports.
To improve revenue collection, we have Tightened collection mechanisms and plugged revenue leakages that resulted in the unprecedented generation of the sum of 286bn and the remittance of 103bn as of November 2022 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation.
Licensing of 10 Export Processing Terminals to facilitate exports at Nigerian Sea Ports. Four (4) of these terminals are already fully operational.
The Harbours department of Onne and Calabar ports have secured the International Standard Organization (ISO) certification
There’s reduction in ship waiting time and cargo dwell time and increase in cargo traffic in the eastern ports.
The committed efforts at advancing trade facilitation recently won the award of “Best Maritime Agency of the Year 2022” at the recently held Daily Telegraph Newspaper.
In light of the above, I cannot afford to be distracted by the deliberate shenanigans of blackmailers and vested interests who are desperate to upset the applecart of my sharply-focused leadership that is committed to emplacing and bequeathing to the nation a transparent and accountable management of the NPA now and in the years ahead.
In rounding off, I will, henceforth, institute legal action against any media house that publishes unsubstantiated and damaging reports about my person.
I’ll not hesitate to seek the support of all well-meaning and decent citizens to tell my traducers to use their energy for more meaningful endeavor than to engage in maliciousness of their campaign of intimidation, blackmail, and vendetta.
My job at the NPA is not personal. It is national service, to which I had resolved from the outset to give my best shot.
