The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman on Saturday in Lagos commended all staff for their contributions and dedications.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 2017 long service award, Bala Usman said in spite of the outlook of the economy at the beginning of this year, “the management of the Authority set out certain goals and objectives for 2017 and we are grateful that we have attained most of the goals that we set for ourselves”.
The MD also used the opportunity to assure staff of improved welfare in 2018.
Addressing the workers, Bala Usman said: “I want to on behalf of all of us who serve Nigeria at the NPA thank today’s 530 recipients of the long service awards, seven merit awardees and our 30 gallant fire service men and other crew members”.
The MD added: “On behalf of management, I want to thank you, our colleagues for keeping faith with us. While we are not at that place where we hope to be, we certainly are not where we started from. So I take the opportunity that this rare event presents to commend you for your commitment to service and all the sacrifices that you have all had to make.
“Someone said that the reward for hard work is more work, at the NPA, we know that this not the exact situation. There is of course always more work for us because we want to improve on our last performance, never resting on our oars, but can also assure you that welfare will continue to be of utmost priority to us.
“In the coming year, we assure that we will do our best to improve the condition of service of staff and raise the morale of our people.
“As we do this however, we would continue to lay a demand on you to set a standard of dedicated and committed service to maritime industry in particular and our nation in general.
“It is our desire to entrench accountability and efficiency signaled by smooth operations at all our port locations and improvement in the turnaround time of cargoes in the coming year, it is our desire to improve on the Executive Orders that we started implementing last year and reduction in the delay time at the ports.
“Even if this is a token, what we are doing today, should encourage all of us that Nigeria appreciates us and that we can indeed reap the reward of our loyalty to the country while in our lifetime.
“I pray that we will also find the grace to remain committed and faithful to this country so we can leave it a better place for generations after us”.
