By Oye Chukwujekwu
Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar Alhassan is the Onne Port Manager and a technocrat in transport and logistics. He specializes in ports operations and cargo handling with over 29years experience. A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he disclosed to newsmen how he had turned the status of Nigerian port Authority, Onne, to a standard better than other port authority in Nigeria.
He noted that his boss, the Managing Director of Nigerian Port Authority, improved on the welfare of workers including rapid promotion of the staff, as she upgraded the port authority. The major focus of her administration is to increase the internally generated revenue of Nigeria through efficient port management, adding that the administration of the port authority has zero tolerance to corruption.
He mentioned that before he came to Onne the port based its operation only on oil and gas, but after rigorous exercise, operations increased and the export of agro-products are on the high side. He said that they made the cumbersomeness of the port operations easy for all Nigerian, adding that they conducted a meeting with security agents to ease the challenges of customers and the protection of their goods.
He stated that the Onne sea port has been equipped more than other port in the country because of the nature of the place, adding that they improved on security which had brought piracy and armed robbery to a barest minimum.
He said that the port authority under his watch embarked on the provision of water and school to the host community as part of the port social responsibility and the ongoing collaboration between the port and INTELS in the women empowerment programme scheme that had removed over 400 girls from the street, carrying the host community along development will help secure the port, he said.
The port manager said that the Onne Port has land and water traffic, well trained personel, tug boats, adequate fire service facility which could also be extended to the host community,. He also said that the port road had been decongested and improved the system of traffic management.
“We have good plans for the port. The challenges facing the port are not insurmountable and we had plans to sensitize people to come and do business in the community. The employment issue will be improved; the port has focus. “We know what we want and we are focused on that.
“Now bigger vessels are coming and we are engaging the natives,” he said.
In spite of the achievements by the Onne port manager, the chairman of National Association of Regional Newspapers Publishers, Prince Charles Umejei, gave an award of excellent performance to Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan who in return promised to upgrade the operations of the Nigerian Port Authority Onne Rivers state.