The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr Bola Oyebamiji, has expressed the desire to consolidate the Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) blueprint already initiated by his predecessors in office as a way of opening up new opportunities to maximise the full economic potential of the nation’s waterways.
Mr Oyebamiji made this commitment while speaking with newsmen at the end of his 2-day working visit to the NIWA office in Warri, Delta State, last week, as part of his ongoing familiarisation tour of its facilities across the country and to boost the morale of its workforce on the task ahead in re-positioning the parastatal.
Responding to how he intended to continue the initiated partnership between NIWA and Burutu Port Management in the state, the NIWA boss expressed optimism that the synergy would no doubt boost commercial activities along the Delta Waterways and reaffirmed his determination to promote PPP in all its operational bases in the country.
He emphasised that the best way to go is the PPP, describing it as the norm now in the world, just as he disclosed that the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy had been preaching the global trend in harnessing the economic viability of the maritime domain.
While pointing out that his predecessor in office had taken a good step in this direction, the NIWA boss assured that the Authority was going to follow it through and ensure that the partnership with people who had genuine intentions and purposes was sustained.
On the issue of waterways security and efforts being made by the establishment to partner with security agencies in ensuring safety, especially along its right of way, Mr. Oyebamiji recounted various initiatives so far taken by the Minister, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola; in addition to the key areas, the parastatal had also made its own inputs.
He revealed that not too long after he came on board, he held meetings with some major stakeholders and had collectively chatted about a way forward, adding that the parastatal had decided to take its security arrangements to the grassroots, as they have engaged the various village heads across their operational areas to see how they can safeguard their environment.
According to him, “They understand their terrains, so they are in a better position to tell us more about their creeks and the flashpoints. They know their people, so they can guide on the good and criminally minded individuals in their areas,” adding that such would go a long way in assisting to tackle the issue of insecurity within its operational areas.
He hinted that the authority had also engaged its own personnel security, adding that this would complement the efforts of the Marine Police and the conventional security agents that had ensured some level of safety on the waterways.
“You will also remember that about three months ago or so, we commissioned some newly acquired gunboats, and I can tell you that they are being deployed to strategic locations of our operations across the country.”
On his general assessment after the tour of the Zonal office, Mr Oyebamiji noted that part of the reason he came to Warri was to evaluate the present condition of some of its operational equipment at the Zonal office in order to have first-hand knowledge of what they needed to do to upgrade some of these facilities.
Earlier, during a meeting with the workers, Oyebamiji reiterated his commitment to the welfare of staff, interns of training and retraining, promotions, and remunerations, including the education of the children of his workforce.
While expressing his willingness to meet all their demands, he noted that he might be constrained by inadequate funding; hence, he had to prioritise their requests.
He, however, urged them not to be discouraged but to see their present position as an opportunity to make a difference in making Inland Waterways more efficient and productive.
In his opening remarks, the Warri Area Manager, Rufus Oladimeji, thanked the Managing Director for providing them with an operational vehicle and went ahead to reel out a number of requirements needed at the Zonal office to boost its operations.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then