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Following the ban of some agencies at the ports for easy business transactions and to allow for the integration of a 24 hour work mode, TheNewsGuru.com gathers that some of the affected agencies are begging to stage a comeback through lobbying.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that following the order, the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA) has barred the National Law Drug Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Standard Organization of Nigeria, (SON) Plant Quarantine, and the Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) following the implementation of the Executive order.
At a monthly meeting of Port Security Facility, (PFSO) Forum, a member of the forum that works in the security department of the NPA told Vanguard that an official of the Plant Quarantine has asked to arrangement a meeting with the Managing Director of the Ports Authority to explain the need to have their presence at the port.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, Managing Director of the NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman said that only agencies stated in the report of the Joint Investigation Board, (JIB) will be allowed in the port.
She added that any agency that was listed in the report should not be seen at the port.
The NPA Boss emphasised that the Authority has totally keyed into the Executive Order aiming at operational efficiency, through the ease of doing business in all the Ports across the nation, because she has a strong faith that it is what the industry needs to deliver on its core mandate.
For the avoidance of ambiguity, Hadiza highlighted that the Agencies presently streamlined to operate at the Ports were the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Ports Health.
The Executive Order according to her, would ensure that unauthorized personnel in the Ports are denied access, thereby reducing human traffic, as part of other Stringent measures being put in place to reduce corrupt practices that could hamper greater efficient operation across the Ports.
She assured that the Authority would also prioritize the exportation of Agricultural produce and Mineral Resources at the Ports by way of location, creating specially dedicated areas for this purpose.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in an Executive Order in May directed that “the Apapa Port shall resume 24-hour operations within 30 days of the issuance of this Order and there shall be no touting whatsoever by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria.’’