By Foster Obi
Less than six months after assuming office, the Acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko is obviously making some giant attempts to rewrite history.
Most people that come into office in acting capacity behave as frightened horses(apologies to OBJ), not willing to rock the boat to remain in the good books of their predecessors.
But Bello Koko has towed a different line, not belligerent, nor a shadow boxer, neither run her down company, or playing to the gallery. He has remained focused and calculated.
It is no longer news how the former managing director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman was unceremoniously suspended by President Mohammed Buhari and replaced by Bello Koko.
Feelers from the grapevine suggests that Bala Usman, an activist by nature is using all necessary connections to make a comeback. Whether this will come to pass is a matter for the gods.
Hadiza held sway at NPA and based on rumours that he was Governor Nasiru El-rufai’s candidate, (some even allegedgirlfriend)himself a strong member of this government, most stakeholders were surprised at the manner of her exit.
Rumuor mill had it a time that the Transport Minister, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi was very careful in dealing with Hadiza for fear that El-rufai will undo him. You can now imagine why it was a surprise that Hadiza was suspended based on disagreement with the Transport Minister.
One other unnerving but strong rumours that circulated when Hadiza was appointed to head NPA was that she was brought in to do some dirty jobs for the APC led government.
It was not astounding that the rumour gained momentum when NPA took on INTELS Onne and brought the mega logistics company on bended knees.
INTELS is owned by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who was then gaining prominence daily as the presidential flagbearer of the opposition PDP.
Hadiza being a social media buff, however denied these, and gave reasons for moving against INTELS, listing so many infractions.
Curtain falls on Hadiza, Bello Koko takes center stage as the man of the moment. Within five months, Bello who has this gentle mien and obviously self effacing has shifted atmospheres at NPA with majority of the staff already singing his praises.
One of the things he has done at the ports is his proactive steps at solving the intractable Apapa gridlock by fine-tuning the Electronic Call Up system introduced by Hadiza Bala Usman. The system with the acronym ETO is management practical steps at reining in movement of trucks (mostly driven by uncouth illiterates)to create sanity within the ports.
Taking into cognizance that the traffic gridlock remained a huge challenge for the presidential committee that was given the mandate to solve it, while also making Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu almost a lier, after he made promises to end it in six months after assuming office, Mohammed Bello Koko should be given credit for the current steps he is taking.
Most stakeholders believe that if he continues the way he is going, he will turnaround the ports within the foreseeable future.
He also embarked on what he called ‘operation green’ through where all illegal structures and shanties on port access roads in Apapa were cleared.
Speaking recently on discussion programme, on the provision of barge services to ease movement of cargo out of the seaports, the NPA Boss said barge operators are now being guided by the revised standard operating procedures (SOP) in order to ensure efficient and safe barge operations. He maintained that owners of barges must comply with the new safety guidelines if they wish to do business at the port.
For a man who is barely six months in office to take such proactive steps, not minding whose ox is gored is quite commendable.
He also entered into partnerships with some notable agencies for the development of the ports as against the activities of certain head of agencies that are ceremony loving, estacode buffs, and junketers.
This piece is however not to hold brief for the embattled MD who was rattled last week by the pandora papers accusing him of certain malfeasance although still in the realm of allegation.
He was accused of some offshore dealings, buying houses abroad even as a civil servant.
These sort of allegations are expected because of the position he occupies and the circumstance under which he assumed office.
There are all kinds of players in the public space, call them the good the bad and the ugly. Some writers are very abrasive when they want to squeeze your hand to playball, some are sponsored articles by interested parties who eye such positions while most are agent provocateurs acting at the behest of politicians or mischief makers.
It is well known that the acting MD was a proactive banker and made a lot of money when he was there. Looking at what knowledgeable and informed bankers do with foreign exchange, buying such houses as the writers alleged does not sound extraordinary. Some junior staff did much more during the FX scramble.
Like they say, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. For Bello Koko, it is a make or mar season as enemies are on the prowl to boot him out of office ignominiously. But he must rise up to the challenge, and go to equity because there is glimmer suggesting that the dark tunnel will get illuminated.
Foster Obi is the Editor of dfcnewsng.com

Picture shows the suave MD of NPA