CRISIS BREWS OVER PLANS TO SCRAP NPA

A crisis might be brewing in the nation’s port industry over moves by the Federal Government to further concession harbour and marine services, a development that would technically mean the scrapping of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.

The Federal Government had, about eight years ago, ceded the control of the port terminals to private investors, under concession agreements that divested the authority of its cargo handling operations, which were taken over by private concessionaires under controversial and questionable circumstances.

Under the post-concession era, NPA renders core marine and harbour services like towage, berthing and un-berthing, pilotage, dredging and channel management, among others, which are also about being taken away from it.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, which also handled the earlier privatisation of port operations, had in a letter dated January 18, 2013 addressed to the managing director of NPA, indicated moves by the government to privatise marine and harbour services, which are current core functions of NPA, claiming it is in tandem with best global practices.

Meanwhile, the President of the NPA branch of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations, Mr. Jimoh Umar, who addressed the media on the current development, vowed that the workers would resist the moves vehemently.

According to him, the workers gave the government its support and cooperation during the privatisation of the port terminals even when over 8, 000 workers of the authority were sacked, some of whom are yet to be paid their full entitlements.

“The port concession has worked and Nigeria’s seaports have over the years recorded a measure of efficiency arising from the successful completion of the programme. We supported it because we were convinced it will bring about efficient to the ports, to which many of us are witnesses today,” he said.

Source: National Mirror