Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, writes on the drama trailing the emergence of Acting Director-General of NIMASA.
Since July 6, 2015, when the former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, was relieved of his plum position, the apex maritime regulatory body has been a theatre of drama and intrigues.
The bad blood and leadership crisis that followed what an insider described as ‘the pettiness of some top government functionaries’ are yet to be resolved, leading to confusion and widespread suspicion.
It would be recalled that as soon as President Mohammed Buhari sacked Akpobolokemi, he directed him to hand over to the most senior director in the agency until substantive helmsman is appointed.
Following this directive, the former NIMASA boss handed the staff of office to Barrister Callisus Obi, the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, to hold forth till the substantive helmsman is appointed.
It was at this point that the drama and the in-fighting garnered steam for, as it turned out, Obi’s tenure as Acting DG lasted for only three days or so, following a petition from Baba Haruna Jauro, the Executive Director Finance and Administration of the agency.
In the petition, Jauro had argued that he, not Obi, was the most senior director.
He said he assumed office 24 hours before Obi. Based on this argument, Obi was removed as Acting Director-General after three days in office and Jauro was appointed as the new Acting Director-General.
But some insiders who spoke to The Nation in confidence said though all the three directors were appointed the same day, July, 2012, Jaura and Obi were actually attended to together and given their resumption form to fill at the same minute.
According to the source, “It is therefore curious how the resumption form of Jaura, who has been in charge of administration, now allegedly bore a date, 24 hours before the other two directors.”
As would be expected, this development has also embarrassed the Buhari-led federal government which is now accused of marginalisation.
Aside Jaura and Obi, sources said the third director, Ezekiel Bala Agaba, who is the Executive Director of Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, is also allegedly pressing the necessary buttons as the country awaits Buhari’s appointment of the substantive DG.
Sources said the presidency may have been advised to look outside the industry for the choice of the substantive DG of the agency.
A top stakeholder of national maritime industry, who requested not to be named now, explained in a telephone chat with The Nation, why Buhari should look outside the agency.
“It may sound nice to advise the government to look inwards, but unfortunately, nobody within the agency now has the relevant experience and skill to be appointed as the substantive Director-General of this agency. I think the new Director-General must have core competence to move NIMASA forward. I am worried that NIMASA has been over politicised. I however advise the government to professionalise the agency. They should do in NIMASA the same thing they are doing in NNPC.”
Quest for home-grown DG
Notwithstanding the advice of such experts and the power tussle amongst the three executive directors, some other informed insiders and stakeholders who commented on the matter are calling on Buhari to ignore political intrigues and make core competence his watchword in the appointment.
“I think what we need at this point in time is a NIMASA DG that understands the process of indigenizing the sector and making it a true anchor of Nigerian economy. Amongst the three executive directors, Buhari should be able to get the right man for the job. I suggest a careful scrutiny of their skills, experience and knowledge before narrowing down to the most competent. They are heading three sectors of the agency and from these sectors; they have acquired some crucial skills and experiences. Which of these is the most crucial for the needed development of the industry? This is what should inform the choice of the next DG, not all these power games, intrigues and sensationalisation,” the source, a key official in the agency, said.
The three executive directors, all of who were appointed to the position 2012, include: Haruna Baba Jauro. The Acting Director-General, Haruna Baba Jauro, who hails from Yobe State, served, until his appointment, was the Executive Director Finance and Administration in the agency.
Calistus Obi Nwabueze, Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, is a graduate of law from the University of Nsukka.
In the last three years, he has represented NIMASA management in various international conferences and other maritime programmes. Insiders said he spearheaded the domestication of the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which better protects the interests of seafarers and stakeholders in general.
Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba, Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Shipping Development, is a Master mariner with Class 1 Certificate of Competency (Foreign Going Unlimited) from John Moore University, Liverpool in 1986.
Until his appointment as the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Shipping Development in NIMASA, he was the Manager, Fuel Operations, ExxonMobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.