MD NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman

The Nigerian Ports Authority NPA has said it would stop at nothing in ensuring a strict adherence to environmental regulations in the maritime industry.

The authority also charged its staffers to optimise their contribution to the growth of the organisation, especially in terms of making use of the vast potential presented to them by their immediate environment in the discharge of their official schedules, since charity begins at home.

Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, who gave this charge at the just concluded 2017 edition of the World Environment Day with the theme: ‘Connecting People to Nature’, held in Apapa, Lagos, said it has become expedient for the stakeholders to adopt best environmental practices to checkmate pollution.

The MD who was represented by the General Manager Health, Safety and Environment HSE Ahmed Yusuf, charged the stakeholders at the event drawn from all of walks of life, argued that this year’s event could not have come at a better time in view of the need to bridge the widening gap presently being faced by the inhabitants who have failed to understand the synergy that touches on the concept of ‘people and nature’

She further reiterated that the human environment needs to be properly understood in terms of the basic laws and regulations which needs to be strictly followed at all times by the inhabitants.

‘’We are to take a critical look at our attitude to the environment and consciously care for it by willingly complying with environmental laws and standards, using friendly technologies and methods in our industrial processes and productions’’, the MD said.

Meanwhile the Executive Director in charge of Marine and Operations of the authority, Dr. Sekonte Davies while speaking at the event charged stakeholders  to assiduously come up with relevant laws and guidelines that would effectively assist in the growth of our environment.

He was of the view that the expected changes in the environment can be achieved aside these relevant laws by the decision of the individuals in the environment to have a change in attitude in their ways of doing things. I

He said: ‘’ Doing the right things would always curb the waste of time and resources by relevant agencies of government towards achieving environmental growth’’

Similarly, the General Manager in charge of Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Yusuf Ahmed, who was the chief host of the event, affirmed that the annual event is a day set aside by the United Nations to remind humanity that the earth was a single entity that needs to be taken care of with all intent and purposes.

Ahmed stated that the event which began in 1974 marked the beginning of the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which initially took place in Stockholm in 1972.

It was gathered that the event provided platforms for the discussions on the connectivity as it relates to human interactions and the environment. It was agreed by participants that the challenges facing the environment brought by man had become a problem which needed to be resolved expeditiously through international cooperation.

According to him, this year’s event was aimed at exploring the environment and appreciating its beauty since it needs to be properly harnessed for the benefit of every one.

The stakeholders were among others further adopt steps at protecting the environment from negative effects through the planting of forest trees , reducing the wastes at source , proper waste disposal and management and reducing all forms of pollution.

The ED affirmed that the current management would further ensure that its actions and those of its stakeholders do not impact negatively on the environment through relevant national and international laws, regulations and conventions aimed at attaining a Port environment devoid of pollution, oil chemical spills and bio hazards.