NPA To Commence Full Automation, Cargo Tracking -FG

The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has disclosed that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will soon commence the implementation of full automation and cargo tracking across the various ports in the country to promote Port efficiency and Ease of Doing Business. Oyetola made the disclosure recently in Abuja, when he received a renowned entrepreneur and sustainability expert, Prof. Gunter Pauli, who is on a three-day visit to Nigeria.  Pauli’s visit was facilitated by his partners in Nigeria, Premium Blue Economy Innovation and Investment (PBEI& I). The Minister stated that the Federal Government is keen on the diversification of the Nigerian economy away from the oil industry, hence, it was intentional when it created the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.  “Again, we are going to be talking of automation of ports to make them more efficient. I would like to tell you that in another two years, it will all change. We are bringing in automation and cargo tracking as we are working on that for implementation” he said.  Speaking further, the Minister said that the government is interested in partnering with relevant stakeholders under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to maximize and explore the resources of the ocean sector for rapid economic development, improve the livelihood of its people and create jobs as well as preserving the health of the ecosystem.  According to him, “seventy percent of the resources that are available actually comes from the ocean, and we have it in abundance here”.  ” I believe in the Public Private Partnership arrangement. The government will create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and our concept in dealing with these, is purely in PPP, and I see quite a lot of opportunities there,” Oyetola said. In addition, the Minister noted that the Nigerian water ways have enjoyed adequate security with no single incidence of piracy for the past two years. He, therefore, called on investors to take advantage of the opportunities and partner with the newly created Ministry to drive development. “We have sufficient control of our ocean in terms of security and there has been nothing like piracy in our ocean. So, the fear of investors about the safety of their investments is out of it now,” he argued. Speaking earlier during the visit, Professor Gunter Pauli said his team was in Nigeria to partner with the Ministry on commercial and technological innovations and job creation around the sector. He argued that his partnership with the Ministry will attract foreign and local investments that would create a lot of opportunities for the Nigerian youths.  Also present at the event, was the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation / Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, Directors and Heads of Parastatals under the Ministry and other Senior Management Staff.

I’m not involved in any maritime contract mess- Transport Minister

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has debunked reports by some media organizations (not NIGERIAN ANCHOR), that he is involved in a purported maritime contract scandal at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). According to a press statement issued Tuesday by the Minister, the allegations are nothing but a smear campaign to tarnish his reputation and downplay his hard work and successes in the Ministry. “My attention has been drawn to false and baseless publications on some online media platforms regarding my alleged involvement in a purported hijack of a maritime contract at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), a parastatal under my supervision. “These allegations are nothing but a smear campaign orchestrated to tarnish my reputation and undermine my work as the Minister of Transportation,” Sambo said. He went on to say that since he assumed office at the Ministry, he has concentrated on meeting the expectations of stakeholders in the industry, through honesty, transparency, integrity and in accordance with the country’s extant laws. The Minister further berated the media outlets for peddling falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources, fabricated documents, and distorted facts, all of which he says violates the core ethics and principles of journalism. “Let me be clear: Since I assumed Office as Minister in July 2022, my focus has been to meet the high expectations of stakeholders in the transportation sector. I have always acted with honesty, integrity, and transparency, in accordance with the law and public interest. “Surprisingly, the news outlets that carried the false report relied on anonymous sources, fabricated documents, and distorted facts to create a narrative that suits their agenda or that of their sponsors. They not only violated the core ethics of journalism and the principles of fair hearing but have shown contempt for the truth, objective journalism and balanced reportage. “It is even more laughable for anyone to think that just one man will sit back to award contracts of such a humungous amount. The contract awarding process in the Country is quite complex for manipulation. These purveyors of falsehood forget that contract awards under our extant laws and regulations involve rigorous due process, diligence and authorizations by different agencies and levels of government such as the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) among others. “I am certain some persons are intimidated by our achievements in the Ministry within a short time, thus their desperation to drag us in the mud. They are out to use me to chase clout. It is expected that with the transition to a new government, these persons and/or groups may want to target me as a basis to curry favour or seek relevance. Who is indeed afraid of Mu’azu Jaji Sambo? “Consequently, the public is urged not to fall for this propaganda. Under my leadership, this Ministry has executed initiatives to improve the Country’s maritime domain as well as the mobility and safety of Nigerians. We have also promoted innovation, sustainability and social inclusion in the transport sector. “Let me emphasize that I will continue to serve this nation with dedication and commitment till I exit Office. And even out of Office, I will remain a loyal and law-abiding Nigerian. I will not be intimidated or distracted by these false accusations, which only seek to divert attention. I am not involved in any (maritime) contract mess. The public should be guided,” he said. He added that “I have requested appropriate security and law enforcement agencies to expeditiously investigate the content of the misleading publications so that the peddlers of fake and malicious news will be made to face the law.”