From Idu Jude Abuja
The Federal Government has said that it will continue to enforce strict compliance to end infractions by port users in all Nigerian ports for an optimum economic growth.
The Minister of Transportation Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, made this remarks, Thursday in Abuja while delivering a key note address during stakeholders round table appraisal meeting used in measuring anti- corruption compliance in the sector.
The Minister who was represented at the occasion by the Director Maritime Services, Ministry of transportation, Mr Babatunde Sule, said that Maritime Anti-Corruption Network MACN, is a measure put in place to harness several infractions being experienced across Nigerian ports over the years with the loss of unqualifiable revenue to criminals.
According to the minister, the round table appraisal meeting, is for the stakeholders in port operation to come together and review level of compliance on the existing laws and also to plan way foward for the sector’s optimal contribution to Nigerian economy.
The Minister said, “ it is important to examine these level of compliance among port users. it also is good to take proper look at risk assessment and also to know if what we do are the standard procedure and to review way foward”
While welcoming participants, to the second edition of the round table appraisal of MACN, titled Institutionalizing operational efficiency through stronger compliance function within the agencies, the Chairman CEO, CBi a partnering agency, Mr Soji Apampa, revealed that the activities of Collaboration between the two transparency organization Convention on Business Integrity CBi and Maritime anti- corruption network, MACN, has given the sector a facelift and almost free of infractions being experienced across the ports in the past. Mr Apampa, further, said that the emergence of the anti- corruption network in collaboration with Convention on Business integrity CBi, has reduced the corruption cases to the number of 88 as against the earlier number of 266 incident cases as at July 2020.
He said, “ it is gratifying that the Nigerian Maritime ports with the efforts of Anti-Corruption agencies, both government and private agencies, has placed Nigeria ports operation at enviable height as it is no longer seen as a sector without operational standards since 2020 to 2022.