Captain Thomas Kemewerigha [President, Merchant Navy]
Stakeholders should not worry about someone’s credentials when the reality on ground is that it is not the stakeholders that appointed the new D.G. The current D.G. of NIMASA passed through the recommendation of the Minister of Transport and was approved by the President. These two credible and important persons should know more about the DG; they know that this gentleman can carry the mantle of NIMASA, we need to be careful because some of us have cried out severally over the constant changes in NIMASA, we said that it does not bring credibility ,stability and continuity .I don’t know Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi from Adam, but the little that I know about him is that he is a guru in management and I want to believe that today, we have lawyers that are teachers and lecturers in the University that have groom SAN’s and yet they are not SAN. Stakeholders that have meaningful ideas, stakeholders that know why NIMASA is not performing should contribute their quota at this point in time to help NIMASA to grow. They say that a single stretch of the broom does not sweep the ground, all those concerned should come up with their beautiful ideas for us to see a great NIMASA tomorrow if yesterday was bad .What matters most is to ask the question: is the DG the listening type?, is he the greedy type?, is the DG the type who does not buy the ideas of others? Because no man is an island, collective ideas will take us to the promise land in the maritime sector.
Sampson Chima [Registrar, NIS]
Right from the onset, apart from Mrs. Mfon Usoro, she is the one we use to know, but after her Dosunmu came in, we use to know him when he was with NPA, Dosunmu left, Omasteye came in. We really do not know much about him, too. But this new DG that just came in; well, we have not heard about him before, we do not known him either as a serving or retired practitioner. We learnt is a lecturer in the Niger Delta University. Well that position has been politicized and that is what we are meant to understand but that is why we the stakeholders trying to make sure that the post is reserved for the practitioners in line with NOMASA Act and so that the maritime sector will progress. Maritime is highly technical and it needs somebody who is well informed and a practitioner because he will understand what the industry need and what stakeholders want.
Mr. Ademola Irinyemi [Registrar IFFN]
In the very first place, it is too early to comment on the DG, because he just assumed duty after some problems that led to the exit of his predecessor. Having said that ,the issue concerning the declaration of his CV should not be an issue because before he was brought in , I am sure the people that engaged him saw his credentials and for me it is needless to insist on whether his CV is secret or not .What I believe under normal circumstances is that they can engage any individual and I am sure they must have done a thorough work, they must have taken a good look at his credentials ,they must have accessed his pedigree and based on that he was given the opportunity to come in to serve and take over from his predecessor .To me, the industry should allow the man to concentrate ,they should allow him to sit down and chart the course of that organization on the right part, let him continue from where his predecessor stopped , his predecessor did so well within the short time he was there. I am not being biased and my own position is that h should continue from where his predecessor stopped and work towards ensuring that the agency delivers to the Nigerian community what they are expecting from him.
Mr. Caleb Nwansi [Terminal Operator]
It beats our imagination that somebody like Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpbolokemi who has been a university do and who knows what it means to publish his CV cannot come out publicly to tell us his background. Does it mean that he has something to hide or Mr. President did not do a good job; given the fact that both of them come from the same background .If the DG does not have any skeleton in his cupboard ,what stops him from publishing his resume for public consumption .He presented his certificate before the university admitted him as a lecturer, then let him bring those credential s out so that the public can see them and if need, be let them go ahead and verify it .His predecessor Mr,Temisan Omatseye is a well-known maritime lawyer and when he was there ,he performed to some level and the impact of NIMASA was felt .
Daniel Williams [PRO, FFAN]
The maritime industry is a technical one and from what we have seen so far, we have always found ourselves in a position where people who are in charge of affairs in the industry are people who are strangers in most cases, so it has always been a problem,. I think it has come to the level when we should put the right people in the right position that is when we will begin to see results. But even with the right people there in some cases, we don’t even get good result, but at least we should see someone who is willing to do what the stakeholders advised him to do.
Mr. Celestine Okoroafor [Clearing agent]
I want to believe that the new Director General of NIMASA just assumed office and I will say that he is only trying to observe and study and to know his immediate environment .His bio data ,credentials and previous working experience are not the issue here .To me the issue is for him to carry the stakeholders along. For you to get a job in our country, it is all about your qualifications, experience, ‘godfatherism’ and connections. So it is on this premise that I say that the new DG of NIMASA is qualified for the job and if the CV or bio data is what we all demand from him, then we all should wait for a while, because I believe he is still trying to study his environment and God will give him the strength to perform.
Mr.Olusegun Thompson [Clearing Agent]
As a stakeholder in the maritime sector, I believe the appointment of the Director General of NIMASA is not accidental, rather they found him credible for the job despite the situation on ground by stakeholders of the industry. For now, everybody is watching on his next line of action so that they can say he has failed as a Director General of NIMASA, but the reality of the issue at hand is that the new boss of that agency is here to stay and he will spend some time there whether we like it or not .Even though he is not the appropriate man to be appointed, he is there and there is nothing we can do about that. So let’s wait and see what he is up to, because as it is now, he might be the best among all the D.G’s of the agency.
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