PMAWCA Secretary General, Michael Luguje Appointed Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority

The Secretary General of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Mr. Micheal Luguje has assumed office as Director General (DG) of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA). Mr. Luguje’s appointment was approved in June by the President of Ghana, Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo.

An accomplished bilingual port management specialist, who has served at senior levels in international port and maritime institutions, Mr. Luguje’s managerial skills, will be relied upon to help GPHA to reposition the country as the preferred hub of maritime commerce in West Africa in line with President Akufo-Addo’s vision.

He has garnered extensive vast experience in the ports sector of West and Central Africa; as a reforms and change expert with remarkable achievements in team building, employee motivation, and strict adherence to service quality and productivity.

Mr. Luguje joined GPHA in 1999 after serving as a National Youth Intern with the organization in 1998. He rose to become Special Assistant to the DG of GPHA about five years after joining the organization.

In 2007 he worked for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa. IMO is the United Nations specialized agency responsible for global regulation of shipping and maritime transport.

In 2012 he was appointed Secretary General of PMAWCA.

During his tenure at PMAWCA, he also served as Executive Secretary of the Pan African Association of Port Cooperation (PAPC), the continental body for the three regional port associations, from 2012 to 2017.

As Secretary General of PMAWCA, Mr Luguje engendered greater vibrancy and prudency in the affairs of the association. In 2017, he mobilised member ports from the region to support the candidacy of Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, who became the first to be elected Vice President (Africa Region) of the International Association of Ports and Habours (IAPH), under its new constitution.

President of PMAWCA and Chairman of Cape Verde’s Port Administration, Mr. Jorge Pimenta Mauricio, in a communication to the chief executives of all regular and associate PMAWCA members wrote: “As you will all agree with me, PMAWCA must be proud and grateful to the President of the Republic of Ghana and his government for this appointment which is not only in recognition of Mr. Micheal Luguje’s professional competence as an individual, but also an endorsement of PMAWCA as a beacon of rich skills and competence in port management from which our Governments can obtain the best experts to serve at the highest level in all key areas of the port, logistics and maritime transport sector.

“Over the last six years of his stewardship as Secretary General, PMAWCA can attest to Mr. Luguje’s professional competence, team spirit and dedication to producing good results, which has repositioned our Association among the best sub-regional port organizations in Africa and beyond. We therefore have no doubt that he would be successful in his new role as Director General of the GPHA. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Council and members of the Association, I extend our congratulations to Mr. Luguje on his appointment and wish him best success in this new role of higher responsibility.”

The PMAESA Secretary General, Col. Andre Ciseau, on behalf of the PMAESA Board and Membership extended their congratulations to Mr. Luguje, appreciated his efforts whilst at PMAWCA and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Mr Luguje has formally tendered his resignation, however he will continue to maintain general supervision over the work of the Secretariat for the month of July before a new Secretary General is appointed.

(This story originally appeared at: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/07/06/pmawca-secretary-now-director-general-of-ghana-ports/)