- Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari (left), in a handshake with the Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, John Jenkins, during the committee’s visit to the port terminal in Lagos
By Anthony Nwachukwu
The fears of seaport concessionaires withholding further developments at their terminals as the Federal Government delays renewing their contracts may soon be past as the House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation to get all such federal assets performing at optimal level.
To that end, Chairman of the committee, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, has assured port stakeholders of members’ readiness to collaborate with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, to resolve the port concession renewal issue.
Chidari spoke during the committee’s oversight visit to Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group, at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos: “This oversight visit is a key part of our committee’s statutory responsibility.
“We work with diverse government agencies and ministries to ensure that the assets of the government that have been concessioned are performing and delivering premium returns to the government, as well as the investors.
“Our job also involves working to remove any obstacle that might be impeding the smooth running of the private investors in these assets.”
Chidari further stated that the committee would be leveraging its excellent working relationship with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, to resolve the contract renewal of the port terminal concessionaires in the shortest possible time.
“We understand what this contract renewal means to your business and I assure you that the government will not allow this to linger for too long,” he said.
“This current administration is desirous of providing the needed enabling environment for businesses to thrive to grow the country’s economy. We will work with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy to address any issue on the concession renewal.”
Earlier, the Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, John Jenkins, told the committee that the terminal operator and its parent company, SIFAX Group, have over the years contributed substantially to the growth of the economy.
According to him, this has been through excellent service at the terminal and other allied businesses, employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerians as well as countless corporate social support projects that have touched the lives of thousands of less-privileged Nigerians across the country.
He said the renewal of the terminal’s concession agreement would allow the company to implement its development plan that would make the port terminal one of the best globally.
The committee members were accompanied on the visit by officials of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
