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Maintenance Of Public Infrastructure Bill Passes Second Reading

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14 years ago

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A bill for an Act to ensure the maintenance of public infrastructure scaled through its second reading at the House of Representatives on Wednesday in Abuja.

The bill seeks to provide a law that would hold public officers accountable for decay of public facilities and to pave way for proper maintenance culture of the nation’s public amenities.

Leading the debate on the merits of the bill, Rep. Sadiq Mohammed (PDP-Kogi), said the enactment of the bill would facilitate the protection of public properties.

He said that the proposed law would ensure that public officers were held responsible for any deterioration in public facilities.

‘’The bill is to make sure that somebody is held liable for any decay in public infrastructure,’’ Mohammed stated.

Rep. Samson Osagie (ACN-Edo), in his contribution, said that the bill represented the genuine feelings of members of Parliament towards maintenance of public utilities.

He, however, noted that the issue was beyond the passage of the bill, adding that ‘’it is about the unwillingness of the agencies to do their jobs and implement budgets when they ought to do so.’’

The legislator argued that the bill would serve as a welcome call to the government when planning for construction of facilities to also plan for maintenance of such infrastructure.

On his own, Rep. Cyril Egwuatu (APGA-Anambra), stressed the imperative of establishing a body to hold people accountable for the upkeep of government buildings.

Rep. Khabeeb Mustahpa (PDP-Jigawa), described the bill as timely, adding: ‘’it is a call for us (Nigerians) to go back to the basics. ’’

The bill passed through the second reading when put to vote by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal.

Meanwhile, a motion on the dearth of quality customer service delivery and protection in Nigeria was unanimously

adopted by the House and referred to the standing Committee on Commerce and Governmental Affairs for further legislative activities.

Leading the debate, Rep. Eseme Eyiboh (PDP-Akwa/Ibom), noted that the poor quality service delivery provided by

public institutions in Nigeria had crept into the private sector.

The House also referred a motion on the need to investigate the influx of sub-standard goods in Nigeria to the House Standing Committees on Commerce and Industry for more legislative action.

Moving the motion, Rep. Ezenwa Onyewuchi (APGA-Imo), expressed concern over the influx of sub-standard goods into the country.

He decried the attitude of Nigerian traders and importers patronising inferior goods in order to maximise their profits.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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