By Kayemo news
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has said he is in a hurry to make impact at his new national assignment.
Oyetola, who said that he had no business in the ministry if he could not make an impact, called for the support of the management and staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders in the sector to realise President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
The minister stated this during his meeting with the management and staff of the NPA, shortly after his inspection of facilities at the Apapa and Tin Can ports in Lagos.
According to a statement on Monday by the media office of the Minister, Oyetola said going by the decay in infrastructure he saw at the ports, there was an urgent need to commence infrastructural renewal of ports across the country so as to save them from imminent collapse.
The minister also encouraged terminal operators to invest in the development of facilities at the ports.
He also assured that enough scanners would be deployed to the ports to avoid unnecessary delays, noting that where the scanners already exist, he would interface with concerned government agencies to ensure their proper usage for efficiency at the ports.
“As you are all aware, we all have a duty to reposition this sector for the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians and to contribute to the economic growth of our nation. By doing this, we will be leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
“I, therefore, enjoin you to be good ambassadors of this newly created ministry by displaying the highest level of character at your respective duty posts. Your attitude to work must change. We must imbibe the ethos of hard work, discipline, decency, and selflessness as this is the only way we can deliver on Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda.
“Nigerians expect a lot from the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. We must not fail them. We must increase our contribution to the country’s GDP. We have identified some of the low hanging fruits that will make an immediate impact. We shall vigorously pursue them. I am in a hurry to make an impact.
“U have no business heading the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry if I can not make an impact. I want to make an impact. But I can not do it alone. I need your cooperation. I need your support. We have the potential to grow our economy and create more jobs through this novel ministry. We must put everything to work to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President”.
“We fully understand the crucial importance of our ports to the nation’s economic development and international trade. We will work towards improving the operations of our ports. Some of the access roads to our ports are in bad shape.”
