The Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has stated that NIWA will give necessary impetus to Public/Private Partnerships blueprint already initiated by his predecessors in office, as a way of opening up new opportunities to maximise full economic potentials of the nation’s waterways.
Oyebamiji made this commitment while speaking with newsmen at the end of his 2-day working visit to NIWA office in Warri, Delta state, last week, as part of his on-going familiarization tour of its facilities across the country and also to boost the morale of its workforce on the task ahead in re-positioning the parastatal.
Responding to how he intended to continue the initiated partnership between NIWA and Burutu Port Management in the state, he expressed optimism that the synergy would no doubt boost commercial activities along the Delta waterways and reaffirmed to stakeholders Public Private Partnerships across the country.
According to him; “The way to go is the PPP, that’s the best way to go and that’s the norm now in the world. So that is what the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is preaching and I think my predecessor has taken a good step and we are going to follow it through.
“We are going to be sure that the partnership with people who have genuine intentions and purposes are sustained”.
On the issue of waterways security and efforts being made by the establishment to partner with security agencies in ensuring safety, especially along its right of ways, Oyebamiji, recounted various initiatives so far taken by the Minister, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, in addition to the key areas the parastatal had also made its own inputs.
“Recently, when I came on board and especially after we have strategised with our various stakeholders, we have decided to take our security arrangements to the grassroots. We have engaged the various heads of villages across the coastal area in robust discussions in this regard. So that as natives that effectively manage their environment.
“They understand their terrains, so they are in a better position to tell us more about their creeks and the flash points. They their people, so they can guide on the good and criminally minded individuals in their areas and thus you will agree it will go a long way in assisting us to tackle the issue of insecurity within our areas of operations”.
Earlier during a meeting with the workers, Oyebamiji reiterated his commitment to the welfare of staff, in terms of training and retraining, promotions and remunerations, including the education of the children of the work force.
In his opening remarks, the Warri Area Manager, Engr Rufus Oladimeji, thanked the Managing Director for providing them with an operational vehicle and went ahead to reel out a number of requirements needed at the Zonal office to boost its operations.
