14th October, 2011
In line with Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, directive, the Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala while on official visit to the ports in Lagos on Monday, 10 October, announced the need to streamline the agencies operating at the ports.
She said the existing number of government agencies operating at the ports has been drastically reduced from 14 to five.
According to the minister of Finance, the agencies allowed to operate at the nation’s seaports are the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Port Health, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Nigeria Police, Port Police Command, State Security Services, SSS and Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
She said all other government agencies not named above are automatically requested to vacate the ports within two weeks starting from 10 October, 2011.
According to the minister, in the event that the services of any agency not named above are required in the port, the Nigeria Customs Service has the constitutional right to invite such agency to perform its duties.
Furthermore, she stated that at the end of the deadline given, the Commissioner of Police, Police Command and the Nigerian Ports Authority Security have been mandated to enforce full compliance of the presidential directive, promising that all necessary logistics required for the implementation shall be made available by her office to the enforcement agencies.
She appealed to the heads of the affected agencies to take all necessary steps so as to beat the two weeks deadline and to avoid any avoidable embarrassment.
“I appeal to all the stakeholders to cooperate with the Nigerian Ports Authority, to ensure full implementation of the presidential directive,†the Minister of Finance stated.
— Moses Falobi