The newly appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Malam Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero on Monday, May 6, assumed duty in Lagos. Bayero on the same day took over from the former Managing Director, Malam Habib Abdullahi at a brief handover ceremony at the NPA headquarters in Marina, Lagos.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, April 29, removed Abdullahi as Managing Director of NPA and appointed the son of the late Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi Ado Bayero to the position with effect from April 30, 2015. The President, however, gave no reason for the removal of Abdullahi.
Speaking at the brief handover ceremony, Abdullahi said that NPA under his leadership went through a lot such as restructuring the organisation. “We have gone through a lot of challenges but I will leave the rest for posterity to judge. Let posterity judge my tenure as the MD of the organisation. The job is filled with excitement and challenges, the excitement is the job while the challenge is the interest,” he said.
He described the new MD as “a brother, friend, colleague, and classmate.” He urged the management and staff of NPA as well as operators in the maritime industry to support and assist him because he is new in the authority and even the industry. Abdullahi expressed appreciation to the executive directors and leaders of the various workers unions that worked with him saying his achievements were due to their support for his administration.
Responding, the new NPA Managing Director, Alhaji Ado Bayero sought the support of the authority’s workers. “I need your maximum support to move the authority to greater heights. Like my brother has asked you, I hope you will yield to his call for us to form a team; work together for the interest of the country because from what I have been told, anything that happens here can affect the life, economy and political future of this country,” he said.
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