The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that it is not afraid of any form of investigation or probe.
It also said it welcomed the decision of the Senate to look into the activities of the Joint Venture Enterprises of the NPA, namely, the Lagos Channel Management, the Bonny Channel Company and the Calabar Channel Management Company Limited, as raised in a motion on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, in a statement signed by I. S. Nasiru, a Principal Manager, Public Affairs, at the Authority, explained that the current administration had on assumption of duties, identified the challenge and taken immediate steps to address the unacceptable situation.
The statement explained that as part of the processes, an advertisement for expression of interest for “Consultancy Services for Dredging and Channel Design Optimisation Studies” was placed in newspapers in October 2016 (Public Notice No 3957). This, according to the statement, was an international competitive bidding.
It explained that at the moment, three companies have been pre-qualified for the assignment with a request for proposals (RFP) already issued towards the conclusion of the process for the award of contracts.
The statement said further that the studies, when completed, would provide accurate information on the depth and siltation levels of the channels and ultimately, guide the NPA on its next line of immediate and future actions on the channels.
