In the history of the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), no one has achieved the feat that providence bestowed on Habib Abdulahi last week. He was recalled to once again head the Grade ‘A’ agency. He was returned to the highly coveted position of Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority.
In the history of the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), no one has achieved the feat that providence bestowed on Habib Abdulahi last week. He was recalled to once again head the Grade ‘A’ agency. He was returned to the highly coveted position of Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority.
He was booted out in April, and actually handed over to Kano Prince; Sanusi Bayero in a highly contentious manner. He was one of the fall-guys in the high-wired general elections that saw the exit of incumbent President; Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari and the President.
The position of the CEO of NPA has a very high political net worth. The agency’s budget is sometimes bigger than what some states control. The CEO is a regular face at the Presidential Villa, he plays host to the high and mighty, he is held in high esteem because of the largesse that he can dispense.
That was the position Habib found himself until April 2015 when he was removed and directed to handover to Bayero.
As the MD of NPA, there are high expectations of you from all the stakeholders that NPA has. They are the ‘publics’ that NPA has, they are from the outside and from the inside.
Top among those who expect great things from you from the outside are: terminal operators, shipping companies/agents, freight forwarders, and host of others. Perhaps the internal publics are the most dangerous to ‘offend’.
The truth is: During his first foray as the MD, Habib Abdullahi wasn’t loved by many insiders. Reason: they saw him as an opportunist, arrogant, vindictive and insensitive. Perhaps they were wrong, but they still talked in low tones about how he came into the system and within 10 years, he had risen meteorically to head the agency’s London office, next is Executive Director and later Managing Director. May be they were just being envious! But certain things he did actually gave vent to that ‘envy’.
Unlike his predecessor who made workers to smile, Habib was said to have often turned his face to their needs. Surprisingly, even journalists had no good memories of him. When Habib’s predecessor in office; Omar Suleiman was removed, a lot of people from within and outside of NPA were sad, but when Habib was removed in April 2015, no one cared a hoot. Unknown to him, many were happy!
As for the outsider-stakeholders, they doubted his competence, because, they saw him as having no ‘cognate experience’, having not served in commercial, traffic, engineering’ harbour or any other sensitive departments before, they remembered that he was never Port Manager! Sadly, they also compared him to former MDs who had put in many years in the organisation and in the industry. They saw Habib as just a Kano man who had no experience!
While he may no longer be in a position to gain ‘cognate experience’, for Habib Abdullahi, it is a second opportunity to cultivate the goodwill of all that NPA attends to. The starting point for him may well be to look at all injustices meted out during his first tenure. He may also wish to sort out the longstanding pains of some of the agency’s retirees.
Habib may want to get to understand the needs of those who use the services that NPA provides. May be not a good technocrat, but he can improve on his administrative skills by doing just what is right and just.
How pleasant it will be to see Habib Abdullahi swept off his feet by appreciative workers (like they did to his predecessor; Omar Suleiman), when he eventually takes his final bow; how nice it will be for industry stakeholders to celebrate him after this second chance and the time to leave is nigh – for it will surely happen someday sooner or later.
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