Is Bello-Koko Right Man for NPA?

By Vanessa Obioha

Following the suspension of former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, as recommended by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Mohammed Bello-Koko, who is ranked next to her, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in acting capacity pending an investigation into the activities of NPA.

Bala-Usman’s ouster followed unconfirmed allegations and reports of insubordination. As such, the question on many lips is if Bello-Koko is the right man for the job. The reason for this is not far fetched: maritime services are very essential to commerce and industry, so the appropriateness of the NPA MD would be of interest, because decisions, actions and inactions are capable of affecting chain of events and businesses.

Bello-Koko’s resume and profile however suggests that he is experienced to occupy the position.

Until his latest appointment, the 51-year-old Kebbi State indigene served as the Executive Director (ED), Finance and Administration. He was appointed in 2016, and is not just one of the longest serving EDs, and member of the management team, but also, one, who has exemplified himself with his penchant for good corporate governance and best practices.

He is equipped with about two decades of work experience in the banking sector. He started his working career with FSB International Bank Plc, Port Harcourt, as executive trainee-banking operations and was there between 1996 and 2004. He rose to various positions such as Banking Officer-Credit and later Senior Banking Officer, Senior Treasury Officer and later manager.

He later joined Zenith Bank, where he became the Deputy General Manager, Zonal Head and member, Zenith Bank management team. Bello-Koko embarked on a leave of absence from the bank to take up his appointment as NPA Executive Director in 2016.

With his appointment in July 2016 as the NPA ED Finance and Administration, his job, for which he is recognised to have done meritoriously well, was among others, to provide oversight for all divisions within the finance and administration directorate and ensure they operate at optimal levels and deliver quality services within defined service level agreements and to provide improved revenue collection measures.

It was also his responsibility to provide measures that ensure blockage of revenue leakages with a view to improving revenue generation and collection, consolidate the preparation of the authority’s annual budget for presentation to the relevant authorities by the CEO, coordinate the budget implementation in the organisation and report same to the CEO and ensure that appropriate strategies were developed to achieve the organisation’s goals and objectives.

Bello-Koko oversaw the automation of key port operations, thereby improving operational efficiency and plugging identified revenue leakages, embarked on periodic introduction of cost-cutting measures and prudent financial management strategies, and he worked in close collaboration with the external auditors to deliver audited accounts that are International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) compliant.

His job description also encompassed the design and implementation of internal process improvement strategies and performance measurement techniques, ensuring the NPA human resource management practices are designed to promote manpower development, competence and high performance that will positively impact productivity and performance and overseeing the human capacity and manpower development processes in the organisation while ensuring the implementation of a strategic and well-designed annual staff training plan.

The tasks of promoting staff welfare, interfacing with labour unions and ensuring prompt resolution of industrial conflicts as they may arise, overseeing the activities of the medical services division responsible for the provision of medical care services to both serving and retired employees, ensuring functionality and efficiency of the NPA medical facilities across the port locations, were also parts of his duties.

Koko-Bello was also in charge of the management of NPA’s superannuation funds and pension assets, ensured prompt payment of retirement benefits to all retiring employees and prompt payment of pension allowance to the retired employees on pension payroll, facilitated regular verification of the NPA pensioners and provision of medical welfare services.

He also oversaw the activities of the Enterprise Risk Management Department responsible for insuring all the Authority’s assets, ensured prompt payment of premium and claims processing, ensured circularization and strict implementation of government policies across the organisation, presided over directorate meetings, and served as a member of the Executive Management Committee and Board of Directors.

In his resume, Bello-Koko boasts that he possesses special skills such as strong communication skills (both oral and written), broad orientation in credit analysis, management, documentation, and training, broad-based exposure, competence in managing oil and gas relationships and profound knowledge of public sector business in Nigeria, including at local, state, and federal levels, with additional experience in the South-south region, strong negotiation skills and prudent financial management.

He completed his secondary school education at the Federal Government College, Sokoto in 1986, and headed for the University of Sokoto, where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies (B.Sc) in 1992 and Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1995. He also obtained an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School, USA in 2019.

Armed with all these qualification, experience and skills, expectations are high. Many industry stakeholders are of the view that he has all it takes to easily accomplish his new responsibility of overseeing the affairs of NPA and performing the functions of the CEO as provided in the act establishing the agency.