Whether it was for political expediency, or anything else, last week’s voluntary resignation of Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma as the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is unusual, at least in this part of the globe.
What we have been accustomed to is for chief executives to be booted out by new administrations, but last Thursday, the former Minister and ex-PDP woman leader indeed made history by not waiting to be removed from office by the incoming General Muhamadu Buhari administration. She chose to voluntarily disengage .
Whether it was for political expediency, or anything else, last week’s voluntary resignation of Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma as the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is unusual, at least in this part of the globe.
What we have been accustomed to is for chief executives to be booted out by new administrations, but last Thursday, the former Minister and ex-PDP woman leader indeed made history by not waiting to be removed from office by the incoming General Muhamadu Buhari administration. She chose to voluntarily disengage .
The agency’s spokesperson quoted the PDP chieftain and wife of one of Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s arch critics (Malam Adamu Ciroma) as saying that vacating her office as NIWA Managing Director is “the right thing to do”.
Having being appointed as the agency’s CEO on Monday 13th May, 2013, she she recorded some successes before her exit.
She didn’t resign because she could maintain the mandate of the agency, she resigned in principle, knowing that to stay on, she would have to lobby the new government of APC. And the likelihood of retaining that position is remote anyway.
Insiders say she would be remembered for the completion of the capital dredging of the 527 kilometre Lower River Niger from Warri in Delta State to Baro in Niger State. The channel runs through major towns such: Warri, in Delta State, Onitsha in Anambra State, Agenebode in Edo State, Idah, Jamata in Kogi State and Baro in Niger State. The NIWA recently acquired some boats for patrols and navigation. Her supporters also say that the N4.6 billion Onitsha River Port is now ready for concessioning by June, 2015.
Certainly, the NIWA boss had reasons to want to stay on and wait to be fired. She could also have wanted to use her political connections to push for a stay-on, but she took the most honourable option.
Hajia Ciroma didn’t play as much frontal role as some of her colleagues under the Ministry of Transport, yet she was wise enough to throw in the towel.
While commending Ciroma, who didn’t play so much frontal role in the elections, some of her colleagues are waiting to be sacked. Some have even said their appointments were tenured.
Without equivocation, almost everyone knows that the days of the DG of NIMASA; Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi are numbered, so why wait to be sacked or why lobby to stay on? He was accused of so many offences during the build-up to the General Elections; he even addressed a press conference where he threatened to sue the APC. He didn’t fathom the possibility of an APAC government, yet he is waiting to be sacked!
The same goes for the CG of Customs, who was severally accused of playing the Ostrich, he was said to be a PDP supporter in the day and an APC adherent at night. Why also wait to be sacked.
There are other examples.
In the months to come, those who didn’t take the ‘Ciroma pill’ will be told the right thing to do!
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