By Olubunmi ISOKPEHI, Lagos
In line with his high ethical standard, unalloyed commitment and discipline on duty, the immediate past Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Barrister Hassan Bello was honoured by the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and some Maritime stakeholders yesterday in Lagos payed enormous compliments for his laudable performance on duty.
In his remarks, Dr Boniface Anaebunam, founder, NAGAFF, said, “Bello performed tremendously to the admiration of stakeholders in the maritime sector, which during his tenure he saw to the development of Inland Dry Ports (IDP) across the country, development of Truck Transit Parks (TTPs), Port Service Support Portal(PSSP), Border Information Centers(BIC) amongs others.”
Aniebonam asserted, , “I have reasons to celebrate this man because he is for the people, he has shown leadership and we need him back.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the President of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche, has said, “Today, we are proud to host this event in honour of an unassuming gentleman who bestrode the Maritime Industry like the proverbial Colossus, initiating, ennobling and enabling growth, productivity and development to the Nigerian Maritime Industry especially harnessing the economic potentials of the Port Sector.”
Adding, “Barr. Hassan Bello came to the position of ES/CEO of NSC against the normal political run of the mill having been picked from the staff-list of the Council rather than externally. Though professionally attuned to the details of the Council’s mandate and properly prepared as a technocrat who rose from the ranks as a career officer.”
He continued, “It is on record that the Ports concession of 2006 was part of the Federal Government’s reforms of the general economy with particular emphasis on the Maritime industry. The aim of the Port reform was to stimulate port efficiency, competitiveness, user friendliness, reduced port cost and optimize port productivity amongst others. Within the first 3years of the post port concession era, there were remarkable and noticeable improvements in our ports operations but, from 2010 to 2013 the ports were characterized by uncertainties leading to port congestion, traffic gridlock, and high local shipping charges. cargo diversion to neighboring ports, highhandedness and arbitrariness by the service providers, long dwell time of cargo at the ports, long waiting time of vessels, server failures and endemic corruption.”
Recounting his contribution during the COVID 19 lockdown, Uche said, “Barr. Hassan Bello demonstrated, distinguished, and proved his capability and prowess in crisis management during the COVID 19 Pandemic lockdown ordered by the Federal government to curtail the spread of the virus. A pronouncement that took everyone by surprise was calmly managed by Barr. Hassan Bello through the immediate deployment of a resiliency system, which prompted a smooth Ports operation during the peak of the lockdown, and timely recovery of Ports activities after the lockdown, without any hitch.”
He opined, “The order by the Federal Government that Ports remained operational could not have made any meaning if not for the strategy devised and modeled by Barr. Hassan Bello and his Top management to address the situation. These include; Provision of over 10 long buses to convey Freight Forwarders and other port users to work.”
“Dedication and deployment of these buses to cover the various sub-urhan locations where Freight Forwarders and other Port users are residing for easy access to the Ports for those with legitimate businesses at the Ports. To and fro conveyance of all those with genuine businesses to carry out daily basis including weekends. Personal interventions and visits to various Police stations to release Ports users who were wrongly arrested and detained by overzealous Officers. Deployment of Top management Officers to monitor the exercise with stand-by drivers for the buses on 24/7 to avoid any hitch during operation.”
“It is our hope that even as he retires (we know he is not tired), our great country which is in need of development, will find another place, now at higher level, to utilise him, where he can deploy his wealth of experience for greater service to our nation.”
In his goodwill message, the CRFFN boss, ably represented by the Head, Education and Training, CRFFN, Barr. Alban Igwe, has said, “Hassan Bello
is a good team player and maintained cordial relationship with CRFFN during his tenure and he understood the role of freight forwarding to shippers and national economy.”
He posited, “On behalf of the freight forwarding community and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, I wish him a brighter future and many more celebrations”,
In his response, Hassan Bello, appreciated the encomium showered on him, and he enjoins stake holders to extend same to his successor.
His words: “I am happy there is a vast collaboration between NSC and critical stakeholders, no agency can succeed Without stake holders, and stakeholders relationship must be real and sincere, so we know what we get when we are negotiating it is mutual”.
Bello enjoined the press to be critical in their reports as they are also parts of the stakeholders, he said, ” the position we hold is not a family position, we are given the position in trust, so that the people of Nigeria will benefit, we are to execute what the government policy is.
He said what is worrying the maritime industry is some kind of closed society, we need an open society, nothing belongs to any agent. It belongs to the people and this idea of ownership is killing us, we should be open.
However, Bello charged all that, “restructuring is not only political but should be economic, thereby encouraging people do things tiers of government.”
