Maritime Anti-Corruption Network for Convention on Business Integrity has said that the rate of corruption at Nigeria’s seaports has dropped significantly by 75 per cent in last four years.
MACN adviser, Mr Babatunde Oluajo, disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos during an engagement with stakeholders in the freight forwarding sub-sector of the maritime industry on Standard Operating Procedures.
He said the engagement was to support the SOP in furtherance to better government response on complaints regarding infractions and to demand greater compliance.
Oluajo also called on the stakeholders to establish standard for interaction of private participation with public officials on verifiable and comprehensive discourse.
He noted that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s role as ombudsman added value to port operations as economic regulator.
“Both the shipping and clearing of consignments aspects of the industry has recorded tremendous drop on issues bordering on corruption,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, NSC, Hassan Bello, noted the Port Service System Portal as an intervention established to implement the port sector integrity plan.
Bello, who was represented at the event by the Zonal Coordinator, South South Zone, Mr Ogor Izah, recalled that prior to 2016, the maritime industry was reeking of corrupt practices.
According to him, the current administration, in 2016, launched the PSSP and SOP to improve operations, service timelines, efficiency and accountability in the sector.
“The SOP spelt quite clearly who, what, how and why are responsibilities discharged to the public corporate or statutory mandate, while recently Vice President Yemi Osinbajo launched the Nigerian Port Process Manual to promote transparency, as well as eliminate bottlenecks and illegalities,” Bello said.
