By Davies Iheamnachor
The Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, has vowed to eliminate corruption in the Nation’s seaports through implementation of the Nigeria Port Process Manual, NPPM.
Speaking at the seminar on implementation of the NPPM in Port Harcourt, organised by the Port Standing Task Force Team, tagged, “Sensitisation Programme for Stakeholders in the Port Sector on Nigeria Port Process Manual, NPPM Global Best practice in Port operation and Effective implementation”, sponsored by Nigeria Shippers Council, NSC, Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority, NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, stated that the authority is doing everything possible to ensure that corruption is eliminated in ports’ operations.
Koko, who was represented by a Principal Manager of NPA Port Harcourt, Nnorom Emmanuel, noted that ills carried out by other bodies operating within the ports were easily attributed to have been done by the Authority.
He said the essence of the NPPM was to ensure effective inter-agencies collaboration, adding that the NPPM would also address the issues of delay in documentations and clearances.
He added: “Even wrongs not done by our personnel are easily attributed to NPA.
“This is the reason NPA is giving it’s full support to NPPM. The manual was financed and produced by the NPA. NPA will do everything possible to ensure we drastically reduce corruption in our ports. Also delays in signing documents will no longer be tolerated.”
However, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, who chaired the event, called for collaboration among the stakeholders in the ports, adding that the manuel was a result of stakeholders’ intervention.
He said: “We are all concerned about operations in the ports. A lot of us have been labeled as corrupt in the ports. I happen to belong to the part of the port industry that interface with every other person in the industry.
“This means all stakeholders must meet this group of people known as Clearing Agents, Freight Forwarders and Customs Broker, of which I ended up becoming the president.
”As much as we try to sanitize the image and making it professional, we are also being corrupted by those who should not be corrupted at all”.
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