Yemisi Izuora
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, has blamed the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and Nigeria Police Force on failure to operate 24 hours at the ports.
She said their actions are totally deviating from proper operational norms and clearly violating the executive order signed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on ensuring 24-hour port operations and synergy among such agencies.
Other Federal Government agencies operating at the ports that might have fallen under those accused of violating the executive order include Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)
Bala-Usman, while featuring on a television programme said Osinbajo, while serving as acting president in 2017 had signed an executive order on the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment and directed the resumption of 24-hour operations at the Apapa port.
According to her, the vice president also banned touting at all air, land and sea ports.
She stated that only NPA obeyed the order, while other federal government agencies refused to do so.
Bala-Usman added that up till now, the agencies that flouted the order have not been sanctioned.
She said: “If you recall there is an executive order that was signed by the vice-president, which directed all agencies of government to conduct inspection (of containers) in one location and that executive order was signed in 2017.
“Certain agencies of government have not complied and one of the things we have said is sanction for non-compliance with an executive order that was released cannot be done by the Nigerian Ports Authority.”
She said the essence of all agencies doing inspection in one location was for consignees not to have multiple areas of inspection.
Bala-Usman said she had reported the matter to the Presidential Council on Ease of Doing Business chaired by Osinbajo but nothing was done about the flouting of the order.
According to her, port operations will not run smoothly if it is only the NPA that is meeting its obligations.
She added: “There is an executive order to that extent. Some agencies have not complied. There have been several explanations and justifications for the non-compliance by these agencies. The NPA has raised it to the Presidential Council on Ease of Doing Business chaired by the VP to ensure sanctioning for non-compliance and as I keep saying if a directive is given and agencies don’t comply, if there are no consequences for action and inaction, that means I have not performed.”
She urged the federal government to hold agencies not complying with the directive liable.
“For example, we have 24-hour port operation that has been directed. All agencies of government are required to deploy personnel to have 24-hour port operation.
“We deployed our personnel but the other legs were absent. And of course, we cannot sanction other agencies of government,” she stated.
Bala-Usman said the attention of the Presidential Council on the Ease of Doing Business had been drawn to the issue to ensure that those agencies also participate in the 24-hour ports operation