By Stephen Ubanna
Barely one year after leaving office as the minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, an Engr. And Taraba state born politician, appears to have returned to the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, in another form.
The former minister’s Chief of Staff, Abubakar Dantsoho, who many believe was very influential during Engr. Sambo’s renure in helping to fashion out and fine-tune maritime policies for the running of the ministry and the agencies.
With degrees in the relevant fields of Maritime Technology and International Transport obtained from Institutions in Britain and Wales, United Kingdom, UK, may have informed why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have hired him to oversee the affairs of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.
The former minister of Transportation, who is a close political ally of Tinubu, may have used his political eight in the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to chip in a word to the President on the need to engage the services of Dantsoho, who was said to have played a major role in making former minister’ tenure at the Federal ministry of Transportation a huge success.
The Nigerian President who likes engaging hands that would be an asset to his Administration did not hesitate in bringin on board the former minister’s Chief of Staff to replace Mohammed Bello-Koko, who was said to have learnt on the job, amidst cheers from industry operators.
The new NPA, helmsman, according to the industry stakeholders may not have any difficulty in hitting the ground running as he had served in various roles in the past in the Authority as an Assistant General Manager at the Marina, Head office, Technical Assistant to the Managing Director, Principal Manager, Tariff and Billing and Onne Port Manager.
The Concessionaires may not have found him as the best replacement for Bello-Koko, who they could easily manipulate because of his limited technical knowledge meaning that ‘’the era of implementing trial and error policies at NPA or cutting corners by industry stakeholders to short change the government is over .
The new NPA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, may have sent a message to both the staff and industry stake stakeholders to sit up with a promise ‘’to boost the Organisation’s revenue generation and port efficiency. While taking over from Bello-Koko, the immediate past Managing Director of the Authority on Monday, July 12, 2024, at the Corporate Headquarters in Marina, Lagos, the NPA new boss, who seen it all both at the Corporate and ministry level, and who had stated his goal in the new office has promised to deliver on the ministerial mandate to reposition the agency.
This may have informed why he had said that the new Management under his Leadership ‘’match towards this great journey, for increased productivity and greater efficiency I the Authority is unstoppable’’ as there is no going back ,insisting that all hands must on deck for increased revenue generation.
He may have gladdened the heart of industry operators when he declared that the new Management team, has every reason to succeed with the support of Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state and now minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
He had said that that the team is committed to ensuring that the nation’s seaports located in Port Harcort, Warri, Calabar and Lagos, the country’s commercial nerve centre to compete favourably with other seaports in the West and Central African regions, including the Kenyan and South Africa port operations . He noted that the goal will be achieved through ‘’robust exhibition of the overall commitment and collaboration with other sister aagencies’’.
In winning the heart of the staff to cue into the new agenda of the NPA, new Management team, Dantsoho, was said to have given his words that he is committed’’ to improving the welfare of the staff, through timely payment of their monthly emoluments, compensations, training and capacity development, particular, for staff who show added value to their areas of development.
The good news was that the NPA, new helmsman, had given his words ‘’to continue the digital transformation’’ of the Authority started by his predecessor which are key ‘’to blocking all the areas of revenue Leakages at the port and battling corruption while promising ‘’ to explore other ways to further improve port infrastructural renewal’’.
He was said to have laid much emphasis on ‘’the drive for port rehabilitation ,modernization and logistics that surround the arrival of cargo to the nation’s ports corridor, loading of ships and other things that surround berthing of cargoes.
He was said to have also promised to tap into the benefits of the Deep seaport corridor as well as promote the ideals of transparency for Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.
He did not stop there. He was said to have further stated that he would maintain an open communication and collaboration with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, under the close watch of Dayo Mobereola, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC. And Nigerian Inland Water Ways Authority, and NIWA, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS and other relevant security agencies at the port, including the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, DSS and other stakeholders.
C He was said to have commended Bello-Koko, the former NPA, Managing Director and his Management team for their’’ invaluable contributions’’ to the development of the nation’s seaport and moves to make the south eastern ports of Onne, Warri and Calabar , attractive to shippers.
Mrs. Ballah Sarah, an Assistant General Manager, currently overseeing the Authority, Corporate and Strategic Communications Department, had said that Dantsoho , and his team had promised to continue from where his predecessor had stopped I order to move the agency forward. Vintage Dantsoho.
