Barrister Osuala Emma Nwagbara (Maritime Lawyer)
The board is just to give general direction and work with the body of executives, the board members need not be technocrats in a particular area although where they are is impactful, so what they need is experience regarding corporate board matters. So what is very important is that those who are to run the organization from day to day are experienced in the area of their responsibility.
The board can guide and advise when necessary to give general direction. that is why the board must understand how a corporate body function.
Capt Taiwo Akinpelumi (Stakeholder)
The board is very important in organization like NIMASA, but I think the board should be made more relevant in the running of an organization like NIMASA, of course we know that the DG NIMASA is usually the CEO, but every decision taken have to be ratified by the board, the board are like the owners, they are to perform check and balances.
Edeme Kelikume (BOAN President)
The board is to give direction for which any agency will move, it is the responsibility of the board to ensure that that the agenda that is set by the president is followed without any issues.
Captain Tajudeen Alao (Master Mariner)
Both NPA and NIMASA Acts state qualification and experience of board members and relevant experience to maritime industry. But you know, this is done by political appointment and members are enjoined to bring past management experience to these boards.
The woman in NPA has performed and the leadership in NIMASA is an inside man with years of experience in same agency. So I expect, he won’t disappoint in the sense that, he will handle political interference professionally. But where some board members are big men, ex-speakers and not ready to learn and adapt to professional dictates of maritime industry, the DG will educate and carry them along, Jamoh will do well.
Barrister Emeka Akabugo (Stakeholder)
It is too early to say whether they are working or not, they have just been constituted so it is too early in the day to make a declaration whether or not they are working. But I don’t think there are empirical basis to be able to say whether they are relevant or not because the role of the board is not executives in nature; it is advisory. So it is to provide general advisory policy guidance to the executive management. So if there are issues or expectations that the stakeholders have, those expectations should be targeted to the executive management and not the board. It is politicians that generally made up the board so they do not have the inclination to make the type of impact that will result to a clear direction that expectation should be for the executive management.
Captain Adewwale Ishola (Master Mariner)
It is the government that makes decisions and you know they are political appointments, so you can’t say they are not relevant. There is nothing we can do about that because they are political appointment, everybody has to contribute his own quota. If you want to bring anybody from the moon, so long as the person can use his common sense. the person can work there. These are new people, let us see what they can be able to do after two years, then we can be able to assess them. I don’t want to pre-empt people, I will like to watch and see what they can do.
Rev Jonathan Nicole (SALS)
Well, I don’t really see anything wrong in changing the board if you feel they are not doing their jobs well. Normally the board is supposed to oversee what is happening at the agency, but if you feel they are not doing well there is need to change them. So the government knows what is going on in their own parastatals and any one they feel that is not measuring up to their own standard they have the right to change them, that is our view; it is not only NPA or NIMASA, there are other government parastatals that need to be touched.
