…Congatulates the reappointed MD
Mcanthony Onuoha
Following the recent reappointment of the Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority, Hadjia Hadiza Bala Usman, for a second term of five years, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics in Nigeria (APFFLON),has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for her reappointment saying that it will avail her the needed time to complete the projects initiated by her administration.
In a congratulatory message signed by the National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite,and made available to the Media, the advocacy group hailed the giant strides of the first female Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority whom it described as a “thorough and seasoned Administrator and Patriot”.
Otunba Ogunojemite in the message, said that Hadjia Hadiza’s reappointment will ensure continuity and also reposition the Nigeria Ports Authority for better performance.
In his words, “APFFLON commends the President for the reappointment of Hadjia Hadiza Bala Usman, it goes a long way to erase the impression that Nigerian youths are lazy, the only thing the youths need is the opportunity to prove themselves, and from the records being bandied across the globe, Nigerian youths are indeed fire brands. Hadiza has proven that she is an administrator per excellence and in her second term, l urge relevant stakeholders to give her the needed support to deliver on the job”.
The National President went further to assure stakeholders in both Aviation and Maritime Industries that APFFLON as an advocacy group, will always rally support for performing agencies of the Government while non performers will always receive knocks and condemnations until significant changes are observed.
However, APFFLON in the congratulatory message urged the reappointed MD to embark on ports reforms as a lot of facilities in the ports industry are begging for rehabilitation while some dormant departments need to be given new impetus so as to enhance service efficiency.
In addition, the association urged Hadjia Hadiza Bala Usman to compel ports concessionaires and service providers to fulfill their statutory obligations to Nigerians as stated in the documents that cemented the concession agreement saying that not fulfilling their own parts of the agreement amounts to criminality.
Furthermore, APFFLON tasked Nigeria Ports Authority on speedy decongestion of the ports asking the authority to collaborate with Nigeria Shippers Council in the new year to fashion out the most possible measure to compel shipping Companies to evacuate all the empty boxes littered at every nook and cranny of the ports, doing that it said, will go a long way to ensure free flow of traffic on ports corridors as trucks won’t find it so difficult in accessing the ports to either load or unload.
Finally, APFFLON regretted the non performance of the Management of Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, saying that it is an assemblage of dishonest men whose aim is to reap where they are not sowing. Adding that the Council would have been of great help in Port reformation had it been it had got sincere Patriots managing its affairs.
