Dr. George Moghalu, the newly appointed Managing Director (MD) of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Tuesday assumed duty, with a pledge to be guided by the rule of law, equity and fair play.
Moghalu,who made the pledge shortly after taking over from the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Danladi Ibrahim at the NIWA headquarters in Lokoja, also said transparency would be his watch-word.
“I came here to serve Nigeria and success is my priority; we will continue with all on-going viable and justifiable projects”, he said.
He said the country needed to diversify and develop its infrastructures in the area of waterways transportation, to enhance its economic growth.
According to him, the policy objective of NIWA is to transform the inland waterways to make them not just economically viable, but also provide an alternative safe and alternate transport system to ease the problem of transportation and movement of goods across the country.
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Moghalu said inland water transportation system remained a critical component of the national freight system, particularly for movement of bulk goods, adding that its development was imperative in view of the growing transportation needs.
He solicited the cooperation of management and staff of the MIWA to enable him succeed.
”I regard you all as my treasured colleagues and I am here to work with you as a team.
“I need your prayers, advice, cooperation and support,in order to actualise the mission and vision of this Authority”, he told his staff.
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In his handing over speech, the Acting Managing Director told Moghalu that the MIWA, under his leadership in acting capacity, did not deviate from the initiatives of past Managing Directors.
Ibrahim said that the authority, within the period, commenced the process of procuring self-propelled badge with the capacity to carry 60 Four-Off containers for bulk cargo movement from Nigerian seaport to the hinterlands.
He said that the authority also procured additional dredgers for in-house maintenance dredging, and was at advanced stage of procuring cargo handling equipment for Lokoja port.
He urged the new Managing Director to help secure approval for the authority to undertake study of waterways in Europe and America, just as he pledged continued support and loyalty of management and staff of the Authority to the new person at the helm of affairs.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appointment of Moghalu by President Muhammadu Buhari followed the appointment of the immediate-past MD of NIWA, Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, as Minister of State, Health. (NAN)
