The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Muhammed Bello-Koko, has said that the footage allowance had not been approved by the Salary and Wages Commission.
Bello-Koko said this recently during the inauguration of the rehabilitated Apapa and Tincan ports control towers.
He said that the allowance was not properly documented, adding that the agency was working towards proper documentation of the allowance.
Footage allowances are monies paid by shipping companies through the port authorities of countries to the pilots.
Recall that the Nigerian Maritime Pilot Associations some months ago lamented the nonpayment of the allowance.
Bello-Koko, said, “Footage allowance was introduced during the cement armada. Then the pilots that were working at the ports at the time were not Nigerians and because of the hazard coming from the cement, a certain allowance was introduced by the government then.
“When we came on board, that was being paid. However, it was not properly documented. There was no approval from the Salaries and Wages Commission for the payment of footage allowance. And based on that we wrote to the commission to review it and give us the necessary approval so that we will make sure it is in the budget.
And they have done that. They have even visited a few ports; they have written their report, and when the necessary approval is given, that will be taken care of.
“We have sat down with the pilots, and we have paid some of the allowances. Some are outstanding because we need to regularise them.”
The Punch
