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Crisis Rocks NDBDA Over New MD Post

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Crisis is presently rocking the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) in Port Harcourt over who becomes the new managing director.
Investigations have revealed that two top officials, Chief M. C. Azikiwe, Executive Director Services, and one Dr. M. Eneife who is the Executive Director, Planning, Investigation and design are locked in a battle for supremacy over who succeeds the present Managing Director, Mr. Mathew Aleru, who according to records, is over-due for retirement.
Inside sources say both Eneife and Azikiwe were appointed Executive directors same day in the authority but Dr. Eneife went on secondment when Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of Bayelsa State, appointed him as a Commissioner in his administration and even re-appointed as Commissioner when the present President, Goodluck Jonathan was governor in Bayelsa, his home state.
When the present managing director, Matthew Aleru became MD of NDBDA, the position of Executive Director, Planning, Investigation and Design became vacant and Dr. Eneife whose job as commissioner in Bayelsa ended, was said to had started fighting to occupy the vacant position of Executive Director PID department.
Luckily to Dr. Eneife, who also is an engineer by profession, he won the battle and became re-appointed as Acting Executive Director PID.
However, Eneife last year got back the vacant position of Executive Director PID a position which Mr. Aleru was occupying before he was eventually made the Managing Director of the authority.
In view of the fact that the present MD was supposed to retire on June 28th 2014, the two major actors, Eneife and Azikiwe engaged each other in the battle over who takes over from Aleru.
The two top officials, The Tide gathered are exploring all their states and National connections to get an edge over each other.
Infact, Eneife is said to have made Abuja his second home since the battle began as he wants to take advantage of the influential positions of his former bosses, Alamieyesieha and Jonathan to outwit Engineer Azikiwe in the onslaught.
The Tide also gathered that Abuja, undecided yet on what to do, had asked Aleru who ought to have retired on August 28th 2014 to hold on to the office as MD while serious consideration is going on, on the right person amongst the two top executive directors to be appointed as the new managing director.
Our dependable source accused Aleru of exploiting the crisis situation to elongate his stay by instigating the imbroglio, the more.
Workers in the authority are also said to be helpless in terms of influencing the situation as the union itself is said to have remained in serious squabble.
For the past three years, the workers’ union Chairman, PC Ever, according to sources, could not summon a successful general meeting because he does not enjoy the support of a majority of the workers.
This ugly situation is said to be going against the fortunes of NDBDA as the authority is said not to be able to commission in Niger Delta a single water project for the past eight years, since late Robert Allen left as managing director.
Some of the workers who spoke to The Tide on condition of anonymity expressed the view that only an entirely new person from outside the present management could move the authority forward because of the bad blood that would ensue when one of the two top officials angling for the highest position is favoured.
“All we need from the Presidency is an entirely new person to be appointed as MD. There is a lot of rot and malaise in the area”, said one of them.

 

Chris Oluoh

Commissioner 3, Civil Service Commission, Chief Godwin Bebe Okpabi (left), fielding questions from lawmakers over employment racket at the State College of Health Sciences, Sir Ngo Martyns-Yellowe, Registrar of the College, Owanate Lawson (right), Provost of College, Dr Charles Amadi (2nd right) during a the sitting of the House, recently.

Commissioner 3, Civil Service Commission, Chief Godwin Bebe Okpabi (left), fielding questions from lawmakers over employment racket at the State College of Health Sciences, Sir Ngo Martyns-Yellowe, Registrar of the College, Owanate Lawson (right), Provost of College, Dr Charles Amadi (2nd right) during a the sitting of the House, recently.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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