Engr. Alex Peters (Marine Engineer)
Engr. Alex Peters (Marine Engineer)
It is the inability of NIMASA to carry out their numerous functions, indeed, NIMASA has been understaffed especially on the technical aspect, the personnel to carry out the Port State Control duties, Flag State duties, security systems is so much lacking that they started farming out their security functions. There are so many other functions that NIMASA is supposed to cover and the people at the top hierarchy and executive directors are directly responsible for these areas, so if nothing has been happening in these areas over the years or not moving as expected, then it is only sensible that there should be some changes to see if we can get people in place that can move things and make the industry vibrant, remember that the industry is suppose to be money- spinning. The actual surprise there is the change of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, but the government knows best why it did so, I think Engr Suleiman was doing fairly well on the job, but maybe the government just wanted dynamism, but overall, what the changes translate into is that the authorities are looking for quick action because the government itself is under strong criticism as far as doing things is concerned.
Mr Francis Ehiguese (Ex. Director, CILT)
Government as far as I am concerned has a purpose for whatever it does, but a high turnover at that level is not actually the best because when there is high level turn over at top executive level, it brings a number of ‘learning the process’ or ‘learning the ropes’, this brings about discontinuity in the progress that has been made, if you look at what has been happening in NIMASA, the agency has been in some kind of problems, I think government needs to look into how professionals and technocrats are appointed into strategic positions and they must be given enough time to implement their vision, it should be applicable to other sectors and not just the maritime sector. Government has its policy and direction, but these high level turnovers are not the best, policies cannot be implemented the way they are, when people are appointed, they come with their different visions in line with the policy of the organization.
Mr. A.O Vincent (National Secretary, AREFFN)
It is not in the best interest of the maritime industry because it will not allow for good planning, if you appoint a managing director today and after one or two years you remove him again, it will disturb the system, the new managing director will come and start all over and sometimes abandon all the plans and policies of his predecessor and take us back to square one, so where do we go from there? Government in its wisdom has the right to do whatever they think is in the best interest of the country, all we have to do is to give our support where and when necessary. In the case of NIMASA, the agency has been boiling in crisis for some time now; I don’t think there is good rapport among the management staff, so if injecting new blood into the system will do the magic, then why not? Let there be peace, because without internal peace, the system cannot move forward.
Don Aki (Sole Administrator, IOTA)
I think it is okay and there is nothing wrong in that, if the performance is okay government should retain them but if they are not performing well, there should be changes, because when you appoint somebody into an organization, we expect that by the mandate given, the person should perform up to expectation, in the case of the NPA, I cannot access the performance of the managing director but the government knows better, there is a way with which they assess and change them, normally we all know that changes are needed from time to time, an example is what happened at IOTA, the changes gave the organization a new lease of life, if you have spent three to four years and they change you there should be no bad blood, the government must have observed that some things are going wrong and they needed a change. However, in the case of the NPA managing director who has not stayed two years maybe there is victimization somewhere or maybe he has stepped on toes either deliberately or unknowingly and this is why they want to change him.
Akin Leosho (Sec. NPA Senior Staff)
Well, where you have frequent changes in headship, it means that there would be destruction in policy implementation, continuity may suffer especially where the head has spent just a year plus while he is expected to have a four-year tenure and you know that the issue of projects in Nigeria for example, to get it out of the National Assembly might take a while, moreover it may not sound nice for any organisation having frequent changes in its headships. That is why you have tenure so that any headship would be able to settle down, plan and execute so that whoever is coming in can take off from where he must have stopped so that the transition will be smooth, so aside any criminal offences, the headship should be allowed to end its tenure. For instance in the case of the past Managing Director, Omar Suleiman, the government in its wisdom believes there should be a change in power, we cannot say no or yes, what we should be asking for is that the person who is taking over from him should be from within, therefore there will be little or no destruction in continuity, unlike where you have some other situations where you have a stranger coming in who is completely strange to the maritime industry.
Comrade Leke Sanni(NPA Branch President of MWUN)
From the look of things, it appears that the frequent changes in the headship of the maritime industry are as a result of too much of politics which is not healthy for the industry. We do not know the reason the Government acts the way it has acted, but it is not the best for the industry to keep on changing the chief executives of the maritime industry; particularly the Nigerian Ports Authority. Although the person coming is not just coming in to start learning the job but at the same time, when you put someone in a position, you should allow the person to perform before you can assess his capabilities or performances. Another problem we have is that they don’t allow them to work, it is either they are in Abuja or some other places at the orders of the powers- that- be, which is telling on the industry.
Comrade Julius Efokpor (Sec. Gen, Nigeria Merchant Navy)
The Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association feel it does not go well for the industry, in the sense that, you appoint a person into a position and in the process of the person settling down, he is already out. We expected the continuation of programmes, but what is happening now is that there will not be continuation of programmes, a new chief executive comes in and cancels the old programmes and start afresh instead of allowing the projects on ground to mature. The maritime industry is an industry with long-term projections; not a short term one, for instance the acquisition of vessels is a capital intensive programme that is supposed to be a long term project. So when a new DG comes, he brings new ideas with him to start afresh. In addition, you will find out that there is politics in the headships of the organisation which is not good for the MDs that is supposed to be having constant leadership.
Mr. Olubade Nurudeen [NPA Pensioner]
The short tenure of chief executive in the maritime sector is not good at all because it is a technical operation and for government to bring in those who do not understand the sector again is a big problem to the industry. I must say that the frequent changes in the sector of headship are not good for us all.
Barrister Osuala Nwagbara [Maritime Lawyer]
Frequent changes are not with the best interest of the industry but where changes are made to bring in better hands or where changes are made to remove officials that are corrupt to make the industry to fare better, then there is the need. Until we get that system in place, I will support frequent changes.
Chima Sampson [Registrar NIS]
We are surprised to hear about the changes in leadership in some of the government agencies in the maritime industry and especially the removal of the managing director of NPA. To me it is not really a new thing in the industry and it seems that we are becoming used to it because before you settle down to concentrate on the assignment given to you, the next thing you hear is that you have been replaced. Government appointment is not permanent because anything can happen at anytime due to the inconsistency of the appointment. The industry is not growing the way it ought to. Really frequent changes have not made the industry to be stable but the area I am concerned about is stability in leadership of the sector because, Engineer Omar Suleiman has been able to perform well and this is the time for him to implement some of the plans he has on ground and we have seen some of the work he has done, but at the end of the day he was removed. It is not good for the industry, but the government knows best.
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