President Sirleaf Commissions Emergency Fuel Unloading Facility
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commissioned the Emergency Fuel Unloading Facility and the Aids to Navigation equipment at the Freeport of Monrovia.
At a well ceremony attended by an array of government officials and partners of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company and the National Port Authority, the Liberian leader recounted the pre-modernization states of the two entities which she termed as alarming and deplorable at the time but was marveled at the unimaginable and gratifying changes.
According to a Public Relation team that covered the program, the Liberian leader said she was delighted that conditions are now improving as a result of the transformational processes and said she was impressed to see Product Storage Terminal users and the port users, workers, including members of the Dock Workers Association and cross-section of port users that are proud of what the two facilitities look like today. President Sirleaf commended the Managing Directors of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and the National Port Authority (NPA) for working together closely to make use of what is being provided at the Freeport of Monrovia.
She said there is no doubt that the management is modernizing the port, because of study tours to other countries around Africa. President Sirleaf requested everyone to fully cooperate with the process as it will attract resources to the port especially by end users of the facility. She cautioned the workers to continuously stand behind management in making the National Port Authority a first-class modernized facility, second to none in Africa. “We are waiting for this transformation to be accelerated ahead of 2017”, President Sirleaf stressed.
The Liberian leader said she was impressed that with cooperation from the workers, the port is gradually changing shape, following almost 30-years of derelict conditions, to the point where ships are now docking at the Warf at night, which translates in enhanced services that will lead to collection of taxes. She called on the Managing Directors of LPRC and NPA, to recognize those who previously made contributions to the port since their contributions are being built upon.
Speaking earlier during a welcoming remark, Mr. David F. Williams, Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) thanked the Liberian leader for the mentorship and guidance she continues to provide the Management of the National Port Authority, which according to him has enabled the leadership of NPA to invite President Sirleaf to commission the Contingency Fuel Unloading Facility and Aids to Navigation, which he described as extremely significant accomplishment of government development agenda.
The NPA boss pointed out that the financing and the installation of Aids to Navigation in the Freeport of Monrovia represents not only a milestone achievement by the Government of Liberia, but a major leap in the strive to make the country’s ports regionally competitive and efficient.
He said it would therefore require coordinated efforts by the NPA and other stakeholders to be ready to provide the services, which according to him means more trade and commerce and a boost to the Liberian economy.
In a rather brief remark, the Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Mr. Sumo Kupee, said about four years ago, the World Bank, the LPRC, NPA and the President’s Delivery Unit had a consultative meeting and agreed that given the urgency of the kind of work that needed to be done on the Petroleum Jetty Line owing to its dilapidated condition, (in case of collapse), the supply of petroleum to the country would have been interrupted.
He said initially, when the problem was detected, the estimated the cost of facility was put at US$1m. However, he said when the project got started and completed; it cost less than a $1m. “Madam President, with this facility restored, you can now be assured that there will be constant supply of petroleum products on the Liberian market,” Mr. Kupee noted.
For his part, the Managing Director of APM-Terminal, Mr. George Adjel, said the Liberian leader’s visit to the facility is laudable. Mr. Adjel told President Sirleaf that with improved conditions at the port, up to 9 vessels can possibly dock at the same time, as compared to over 30 years ago. He said this transformation is likely to bring quick benefits to the port, to the Liberian people, to port users and vessels that will dock and depart within short intervals.
