Bello-Koko, Truck Park Association Celebrates NPA’s Eto Call-Up System Progenitor, Ayo Durowaiye on Retirement
Mr Ayo Durowaiye (1st from left) received gift presentation from Vice President of STPOAN, Hajia Bola Muse (3rd from left) and President of the Association, Mr Frank Okeke (1st from right) during a grand reception held in his honor in Lagos on Friday.
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello-Koko as well as the Satellite Truck Park Owners Association of Nigeria (STPOAN) at the weekend threw a grand reception in honor of Mr Ayo Durowaiye, the progenitor of the highly successful Eto Call-Up System which is being operated by the NPA.
Durowaiye recently retired from the NPA as a General Manager in charge of MD’s office. He was also the Chairman Project Implementation Committee (PIC) of the Eto Call-Up System, a concept that was berthed when he was General Manager Operations under the administration of Hadiza Bala Usman as NPA boss.
Speaking at the reception held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos, Bello-Koko who was represented by Apapa Port Manager, Mr Charles Bamidele Okaga attested that the sanity being enjoyed on the port access roads today was as result of the Eto Call-Up system which Durowaiye and his team conceptualised.
“Mr Durowaiye is known to have performed a lot of first in NPA, one of his first contributions is the establishment of E-call up system, he was a driver of that system, he saw it from conceptualisation to inception, to stability and sustainance.
“We would all agree that the Eto Call-Up system is sustained now, and because of the sustainance of that system, we are all struggling to ensure that the legacy Durowaiye laid behind does not collapse.
“The man whom we are celebrating today, Mr Ayodele Durowaiye, he is somebody that the Managing Director of NPA holds in very high esteem, not just the present Managing Director, but even previous Managing Directors of the organisation. He is somebody whose intellectuality, official commitment to service and dutifullness has always attracted to people in high offices in the organisation” Bello-Koko stated
The NPA boss also appreciated the Satellite Truck Parks Owners Association of Nigeria (STPOAN) for the initiative to celebrate Durowaiye, which according to him is unprecedented in the industry.
“The initiative taken by this association is one that we feel indebted to as an authority, in that, this gathering is an assembly of people who are association of history.
“This association and its members are the first of its kind in the history of Maritime business in Nigeria where automation is applied to traffic management.
“This associations participation in this event is a basement and fulcrum upon which the electronic call up system is rested. Without the satellite truck parks and pre-gate from where trucks are called into the port, ETO would be nonexistent.
Thank you for playing your role in ensuring societal orderliness as well as improved productivity in port operations” he said
He assured further that the NPA would continue to partner with the Association in the interest of economic advancement in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Chairman of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (PCC) Mr Bolaji Sunmola described Durowaiye as “Mr Call-Up” and that the industry would continue to call on him for support.
“I know that with the kind of temerity and steadfastness you put into your work will continue to make way for you. Thank you for all that you have done, and from today, we would continue to call you Mr -Call-Up, as from today we would still be calling up on for your wonderful supports you as you out” Sunmola said
President of STPOAN, Mr Frank Okeke said members of the association were pioneers of the Eto Call-Up system alongside Durowaiye.
“We are pioneers of this project and he took us on this project, clearly, everyone can now see the improvement of the Eto on Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port, that is why we are celebrating him as he has retired from NPA in order to show our appreciation.
“In life, there must be continous improvements, we have to aspire to continue to improve further, the man that took over from Mr Durowaiye is a man who wants to solve all the problems in one day, he is investing all his energy to get things working and we have seen steady improvement we are witnessing and several innovations.
“In the beginning of the E-call up project, we were seven truck parks selected to help in warehousing trucks going into the port corridor, the result of it today, is that you can move easily into Apap
“The members that joined the project, we decided to form an association so that we can speak with one voice, NPA encouraged us to do that, because it helped in coordinating the instructions they were passing, instead of speaking to seven people, they would speak to one” he said
Also speaking, Vice President of the Association, Hajia Bola Muse urged Durowaiye not to be tired of assisting as the association would continue to call upon him for his supports, even in retirement.
“Please be patient with us because, we would continue to have meetings with you. On behalf of this association, we say thank you for the support you gave us, forming this association today is not without your support. You are retired but we believe you are not tired” she said
Bola Muse urged other park owners to come onboard and join STPOAN, saying that “Those who have not joined our association or registered, you have seen us and know the stuff we are made of, kindly join the success story and get onboard the moving train”
In his response, Ayo Durowaiye commended all who worked beside him to achieve the Eto Call-Up system, even as he thanked the MD of NPA who according to him have the chance for him to showcase his abilities.
“When we started this project, everybody played an important role in order to get the stability that we have today, I thank you for pointing at me as the arrow head, but I want to tell you that without the other parts of the body, it would be difficult to achieve the feats that we have achieved.
“Appreciation to the association and to the MD of NPA who gave me the opportunity to ply my trade as head of operations, together with my colleagues then, we crafted what is being celebrated today. I want to thank the MD for showing me love while I was in service and even long after I have left the authority.
“This association is a very strategic part of the success of the association, the NPA is very appreciative of what you are doing.
“As we have dropped the baton at NPA, I urge those that we have left behind to carry this fight higher, as touching as the challenges the authority faces at the moment, I believe that the hands that are on ground are able to confront it, I have no doubt in my mind” he said
