NPA bans NAFDAC, NDLEA, others from seaports over executive order

shakirudeen taiwo

June 8, 2017 9:55 AM

The Acting President had issued three executive orders on May 18, 2017, which address entry and exits operations and other issues relating to the conduct of public administration in the country.

Entrance of Tin Can Island Port, Lagos

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has banned some security agencies, considered irrelevant, from operating at the countrys seaports.

The expulsion was contained in an order issued on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, by NPA's Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman.

Usman noted that this directive was in compliance with the ‘executive order’ recently signed by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

The Acting President had issued three executive orders on May 18, 2017, which address entry and exits operations and other issues relating to conducts of public administration in the country.

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Ms Usman in the directive explained that only seven maritime and security agencies are expected to be at the ports, which are the NPA itself, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Ports Health.

“Other agencies that are not on the list cannot operate inside the port, but could base their operations outside and interact with the approved agencies.“

“These agencies are aware that they had always been operating at the ports outside the necessary approvals,” she said.

Also speaking on the development, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali Rtd., stated that the order would bring about changes in port operations in the country and enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria

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Before this directive, there were about 14 government agencies operating within the ports which made the importing and exporting process unnecessarily tedious.

While promising a better ports operation and experience, Usman noted that the NPA is in the process of establishing a ‘ports community system’ which facilitates interactions between stakeholders and agencies within the maritime industry.

shakirudeen taiwo

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