Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Usman seeks quick passage of bills on sector

By Sulaimon Salau
22 February 2017   |   2:51 am
The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman, has urged the National Assembly to pass the Ports and Harbours Bill, National Transport Commission Bill...

Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman, has urged the National Assembly to pass the Ports and Harbours Bill, National Transport Commission Bill and other maritime bills before it to boost ports development.

Speaking at a retreat organised by the House Committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways, in Lagos, Usman said there was an urgent need to pass these bills to replace the existing obsolete laws, which are not supportive of the country’s developmental goals.

She said the NPA is excited about Federal Government’s efforts to reform and develop other related areas such as Inland water ways and ports, railway and road networks to promote inter-modalism, which, according to her, is very key to the success of the port.

“I am also grateful that the ports have been identified as key areas of the economy with the potential to put the nation back on the track of economic boom. One of the key objectives of the retreat is to expose the members of the House Committee and stakeholders to the dynamics of the maritime industry, which are quite vast.

“It is very gratifying that we can count on the support of this Committee in our efforts to reposition the ports to play the desired role in the current economic agenda of the Federal Government,” she said.

In another development, the NPA assured stakeholders that it would ensure a most efficient budgetary implementation in all ramifications.

The Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, enlisted the support of all and sundry towards the rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructure and the procurement of plants and equipment across the nation’s seaport, when House Committee members visited the Corporate Headquarters of the NPA recently.

The Committee Chairman, Dr. Patrick Asadu, charged NPA to prioritize critical areas of concern in its budget implementation while others sections would be attended to accordingly.

He stated that government would not compromised on improved operational efficiency.

Asadu then urged the NPA Management to work towards greater revenue generation as the economic situation facing the country requires creative administrative management expertise in order for the living standard of Nigerians to appreciate once again.

“We are generally impress by the performance of the NPA and if there are other areas we want them to improve when they come for Budget Defence, these areas would be highlighted to them”.

0 Comments