A former Director General of the National Maritime Authority (NMA) now known as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Mr John Patrick Egesi, has frowned at the absence of maritime experts in the membership of the recently constituted board of the agency.
A former Director General of the National Maritime Authority (NMA) now known as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Mr John Patrick Egesi, has frowned at the absence of maritime experts in the membership of the recently constituted board of the agency.
Egesi who is also the President of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) suggested during an exclusive interview with Shipping Position Daily yesterday that the Federal Government should have made a former Director General of the agency to be chairman of the board or a member of the board.
Even though he acknowledged the need for the constitution of board of directors for government agencies, he cautioned that it should be carried out with best of intentions and devoid of political considerations.
"By now I would have expected a former director general of NIMASA to be the chairman of that board, if the country means well without politics, or to be at least a member of that board, but I have never seen this and I think it’s a minus for the country", he argued.
"It almost wants to give the impression that they don’t want anybody from the past, that anybody from the past has nothing to offer, and this is extremely bad, it puts suspicion on the motive of the government itself, not on NIMASA, because NIMASA does not appoint its own board".
Egesi pointed out that the experts on the team are supposed to be an advisory to the agency.
Continuing he said that, "during our time we had somebody from the Navy because the job of NIMASA is also linked to the job of the Navy, you need somebody from the ministry of finance because of the monetary aspect, you need somebody from the parent parastatal, you need somebody that is well versed in the issues of shipping".
He said that every government parastatals needs a board to protect the staff against the tyranny of the directors.
According to him, a government organisation without a board will make staff to do whatever they like.
He pointed out that appointing board of directors is also healthy for the Director General.
"Even private organisations have boards" he stressed.
He however commended the NIMASA DG, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi for his simplicity and for being a leader with listening ear.
"He has his heart in the right directions, nobody is perfect, I am not perfect, Patrick is not perfect, but you do your bit and go away" he said.
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