By Bishir Sabuwa,r Unguwa Katsina
SIR: Nigerian Ports Authority (N.P.A.) is a key institution that plays not only economic role, but also security and strategic one. It serves as one of the gates to the country.
There was a time when NPA became like a conduit of draining and diversion of the nation’s revenue into private pockets.
During the predatory years, management and vested interests connived to block any attempt to implement reforms that would restore the glory of Nigerian ports. So, for many decades, NPA remained comatose, dysfunctional, inefficient and corrupt.
It is in this backdrop one should analyse the situation of our ports. What challenges were met, and what the current leadership of NPA under Hadiza Bala Usman are doing to address these challenges.
When in 2016, I read that President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed Hadiza Bala Usman as the Managing Director of NPA I became a sympathizer of her cause, why? Hadiza was a finest and amiable personality who so far has a good and unblemished records. Then her activism as the pioneer of BBOG-#Bringbackourgirlsmovement# further exposed her character.
Apparently those of us who read about late Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman, her socialist father, were not at all amazed that his daughter was championing the liberation of Chibok Girls from the captivity of Boko Haram.
But her appointment as the first woman to head one of the endemically corrupt institutions in the country where vested interests held sway , I was not only sympathizing, but also became very angry that it was all a set-up; a conspiracy hatched by the political elites to ruin Hadiza .
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They thought, she could not do anything; she would be blocked by the vested interests and she would finish her tenure in disgrace!
Her cardinal policy and focus is how to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency at our ports. To achieve these targets, she hurriedly complied with the Federal Government Treasury Single Account.
She further ensured that all agencies that operate in the Ports also comply. In fact, NPA was the first agency that implemented the TSA.
Another vital step towards transparency and accountability was opening NPA budget to the public by signing an MOU with budgeIT.
Again, there was another vital achievement reviewing concessions to make sure that the government was not shortchanged.
Nigerians should know that reform is never an ending process. It will take many years to reform an institution.
The NPA, is lucky to have the right person doing the thing against all odds, the least we can do as citizens who are after the overall well-being of the country is to support her.
It must however be pointed out that the country expects so much with regards to the Ports, especially those outside Lagos-in the interest of business men and the economy.
- Bishir Sabuwa,r Unguwa Katsina
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