Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment Committee Begins Study of Sea Ports

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has pledged its full support to the activities of the Committee on Corruption Risk Assessment project as the Committee commence risk assessment study of the ports industry across the country.

Malam Habib Abdullahi, managing director, NPA, who gave the assurance in Lagos, expressed optimism that the nation’s port industry would be better for if at the end of the Committee’s assignment.

Receiving members of the Committee during a courtesy call, the managing director compared the relevance of the Committee to the present Anti-corruption Committee in the Authority which draws membership from stakeholders.

He said the peculiarities of the nation’s port industry had made it imperative crusade, so that the port sector is seen to operate maximally and efficiently.

Under the existing concession regime, Abdullahi said the Authority now has sufficient time to supervise and ensure free flow of good and service in the nation’s ports where cases of corrupt practise is at its barest minimum.

 Earlier in her address, Mrs.  Lillian Ekeanyanwu, head of the Committee which drew its membership from Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Technical Unit, on Government & Anti-corruption Reform (TUGAR), United Nation Development Project (UNDP), Maritime Anti Corruption Network (MACN) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said the purpose of her Committee’s visit is to carry out a Corruption Risk Assessment of ports operations in order to enhance integrity and strengthen the port industry.

The head of the Committee added that her team will embark on a Corruption Risk Assessment tour of the ports from the 15th of April to the middle of June with the intention of conducting actual test and closing gaps at points where there are likelihood of corruption.

Ekeanyanwu therefore solicited for the support and cooperation of the Management, and also emphasised the need to improve the integrity of the port industry especially as it is international based.

The main objective the Corruption Risk Assessments is to identify vulnerable areas that are prone to corruption, proffer recommendations, and jointly with the relevant MDAs develop Integrity Plans that would strengthen accountability and transparency towards enhance service delivery.