We Lost N1bn To #EndSARS Protests – NPA

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman, told the Senate on Monday that the agency lost more than N1bn when some unidentified people vandalised its facilities during the recent #EndSARS protests in October this year.

She spoke during the 2021 budget defence session of her agency before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport.

The NPA boss explained that N807m had been earmarked for rehabilitation of the burnt portion of the agency’s building.

She said the amount earmarked for the burnt portion was different from what would be spent to replace the 27 vehicles set ablaze by the vandals and three others stolen ones.

She said, “The operational vehicles need to be replaced as soon as insurance companies come up with the aspect of losses to be shouldered.

“Apart from burnt building and vehicles, other working tools like 317 computers were looted as well as photocopiers.

“The cost of replacing all the burnt and vandalised items will be above a billion naira when added to the N807m already estimated for rehabilitation of the burnt section of the building.”

She assured the committee that the agency, based on ongoing arrangement with the Lagos State Government and the National Inland Waterways Authority would come up with lasting solution to truck gridlock on roads leading to the ports in Lagos.

She said an electronic call up system had been put in place for trucks accessing the ports for evacuation of goods.

The Managing Director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, informed the committee that N3.9bn budget estimates had been proposed for the agency in 2021.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, told the agencies to scale up their projected revenues drive in 2021 for easy implementation of the entire budget.