THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SECURITY AGENTS IN NIGERIA SEA PORTS: A CASE STUDY OF PORT HARCOURT SEA PORT

This research work presented an evaluation of Security agents and their effectiveness in the Port Harcourt sea port and how they tackle security problems arising from the day-to-day activities of the Port. The secondary source of data obtained from documented facts was used extensively for this study. The documented records was extracted and compiled from Security reports on the sea port and documents recording port reforms as well scholarly articles on sea port security, for a period of four years. And method of data analysis employed were moving averages, graphical representations, quantitative description (using operation efficiency model), and the statistical chi-square test of hypothesis. The operational efficiencies were estimated over a period of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The relationship between the operational efficiency and security is therefore of in verse proportionality. This means that a surge in the security challenge will adversely reduce if the security agents are given adequate equipments. From the statistical test of hypothesis estimated, it is apparent that the null hypotheses are to be rejected. The study therefore conclude that the availability of equipment is one of the factors affecting the efficiency of security officials because if the security officials have every equipment needed to carry out their duties effectively, then the rate of smuggling in the Port Harcourt sea port will be reduced.