National Assembly Visits NPA, promised Budgetary provisions to repair damages

By Innocent Orok

The Joint Committee of the National Assembly, comprising of Senate Committee on Marine Transport and that of the House Committee on Ports and Harbour today visited the headquarters office of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to commiserate with the agency over the fire incident that engulfed the edifice during the EndSARS protest.

The NPA Corporate headquarters located at Marina in Lagos State was one of the buildings set ablaze in Lagos by hoodlums who hijacked the EndSARS protest few weeks ago.

Speaking to Journalists in separate interviews after the NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman conducted them round the burnt facility, House Committee Chairman on Ports and Habours, Hon Garba Datti Muhammad and the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Tolulope Oddebiyi said the NASS visited the Managing Director of the NPA to commensurate with the Management of the agency and to see things for themselves.

Both Committees promised to do everything possible including budgetary provisions to mitigate the rebuilding process of the agency in the interest of the economy.

According to Mohammed “We are here to commiserate with the Nigerian Ports Authority and as lawmakers , see the extent of damage done by persons who hijacked a peaceful protest to destroy government properties.

“We have advised the NPA management to adjust it’s 2020 budget and include cost for the repairs which we shall consider” he said.

The Managing Director of the NPA Hadiza Bala Usman had also told reporters that the actual cost of damage done to the NPA headquarters building is yet to be fully ascertained as Insurance companies concerned with the facility are still working on the cost of damage done.

Hadiza said she was excited that the Lawmakers have come to see things for themselves, as such will also assist to make budgetary provisions to repair the damages done to the edifice.