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The manager of Rivers Port, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Adamu Michael, has stressed the need for a synergy between the media and port management in Nigeria.
The PM, who hosted a delegation of Energy and Maritime Reporters (EMR) in his office in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, harped on the importance of objective coverage in the reportage of port activities and ease of doing business in the ports, especially the eastern ports of Onne, Warri, Calabar and Port Harcourt.
“We need your support and experience to ensure service delivery to our stakeholders”, he said. “You’re part of the port system and we’ll ensure greater collaboration and relationship that will improve activities in the port.”
He noted that Rivers Port, being in the middle of Port Harcourt, faces several problems which include decayed infrastructure, but added that management was doing its best to ensure that terminal operators played their roles effectively.
He also disclosed that waivers awaited all investors who would do business through the eastern ports, especially those who would export through the terminals, adding that that was part of the steps outlined by the managing director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, during a stakeholders’ interactive session at the Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt recently, to stimulate smooth patronage of the eastern ports.
The waivers, he further said, will not be granted only by NPA but also by all other sister agencies operating in the port.
Earlier, chairman of EMR, Mr Martins Giadom, expressed belief that synergy between the port and his group would help the parties in better discharge of their assignments.
He explained that, as specialized beat reporters covering the energy and maritime sectors of the economy of Nigeria, EMR is a communication asset to NPA, the IOC’s, key federal agencies, host communities and other major stakeholders in the sector, especially with regards to information on the ease of doing business in the eastern ports.
He therefore suggested the putting in place of corporate social responsibility programmes in host communities and the organization of seminars and workshops on relevant issues in the sector, as well as facility tours for investors and port operators, as viable ways of sensitizing stakeholders on maritime best practices.
