The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has become autonomous as the federal government removed the agency from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
LEADERSHIP reports that the IPPIS is responsible for payment of salaries and wages directly to government employees’ bank accounts with appropriate deductions and remittances.
Disclosing this to newsmen, the Chairman, Board of Director, NIWA, Senator Binta Garba, said that NIWA exiting IPPIS would allow them raise revenue and remit to the federation account
Sen. Garba, however, urged NIWA Lagos to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), from N1billion to N2billion yearly.
She said, “The joy that I have is that NIWA is now autonomous. They can now raise revenue to take care of themselves and also give a fraction into the federal government coffers. I want to thank the NIWA MD for putting some structure down and enhancing the status of NIWA and making the staff happier than they used to be, that will make them do more for the agency.”
“Whatever they need, they should prioritise their needs and the MD will look into them. From N600million revenue, they have exceeded the N1billion mark in Lagos, we are now trying to see whether we can go into the N2billion range, definitely, they should be encouraged.”
She also stated that the agency’s Lagos Area Office is becoming too small for its operations, assuring that efforts would be geared towards improving facilities at the disposal of the Area Office in Lagos.
“Of course, there is need for change in the NIWA Lagos Office and as the area manager told us about the IGR they have been able to generate over the years into the Federal Government coffers, then there is need for comfort for the workers at the Lagos Office of NIWA. If an area brings in more funds, the onus lies on the agency to ensure that such area needs are taken care of.
“In our meeting with the workers, they told us many challenges that they will like us to help them fix. Even the office that we sat in is becoming too small for them. If we want to continue to get the best from these workers, we need to attend to their needs. They raised issues like more operational vehicles, patrol boats, provision of Slip-Way for vessel repair, generator amongst other things.”
Also speaking, the managing director of NIWA, Dr. George Moghalu, explained that the agency will grow stronger after its exit from the Federal Government IPPIS.
He said, “Our leaving the IPPIS is a basis to work harder and make more money. This is because we are now going to pay ourselves.
If we want to starve, then we will starve. If we want to get our salaries, then we’ll work harder to get our salaries. I think we have taken a strong position and before we took the position, we have agreed amongst ourselves, management and staff that this is the time to move forward.
“We in NIWA believes very strongly that the marine has many potentials that we need to key into to be able to expand those aspects of our economy. We are doing everything we can to be able to achieve that. We realised that the resources available to do that will not be able to meet up. We have opened contacts with agencies and companies that are interested in working with us.”
In her welcome address, the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engr Sarat Braimah, said that despite being located in the centre of business in Lagos, the Area Office is due for a remodel.
“The Lagos Office of NIWA is due for a remodel. Also, our generator is over 20years old and due for a change. We also need more security to man our jetties.
“We also need more operational vehicles because naturally, people don’t want to pay tax. You have to chase them around to ensure they pay. So, we need more operational vehicles to do this.”
“We also need a Slip-Way. We currently don’t have any in Lagos, and that’s why most of our marine boats are not getting adequate repairs. The Slipway we are currently using is owned by a client, but we need our own Slip-Way.
“We also need to establish our presence in Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry and Agbara. We currently don’t have jetties in these places. We only have in Marina, Tin-Can, Apapa and Maroko. That is all that we have. We need more jetties in areas where we currently lack presence,” Engr Braimah lamented.
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