Association Tasks FG On Maritime Sector Infrastructure

The Senior Staff Association of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has advised the Federal Government to focus on the development of infrastructure in the maritime sector.

The President of the association (SSANPA), Comrade Jimoh Umar, told journalest  that this would facilitate the development of Nigeria as maritime hub in West Africa.

He said “if the government concentrates on the development of infrastructure, it will bring down the cost of doing business at the ports and also attract businesses from neighbouring countries.

Comrade Umar said, “We believe that if the aspect of infrastructure is dealt with, there will be no need for a commercial regulator at the ports because prices will be determined by the competition among service providers’’.

The union leader said that appointment of a commercial regulator to fix prices at the ports might force the concessionaires to render poor services, stressing that “the concessioners are only there to make profit. It will be difficult for the government to peg charges for the concessionaires when it is not the one rendering the services.

He said “except the government is ready to subsidise the charges, that is when it can regulate prices.”

The union boss urged government to ensure that the roads, rail service and water transportation were functional to complement one another for the quick delivery of cargoes.

He said “When there is an efficient inter-modal transportation then we can have dry ports at the six geo political zones stressing that “this will enable importers to use one coupon to get their cargoes to where it will be easy for them to clear.

The labour leader said “When this is done, it will take care of security and human traffic challenges at the ports and this will boost the country’s gross domestic product’’.

On the Ports and Habour Bill currently before the National Assembly, Umar said that there was nothing wrong with the subsisting NPA laws stressing that “The laws are good enough to cover the operations of ports in Nigeria’’.

Comrrade Umar said that what the government needed to do was to call for a conference of maritime professionals to look for ways the laws could work in the interest of the nation and maritine operators.