Even in its days as the National Maritime Authourity (NMA), the real identity of a chief executive of the apex maritime industry regulatory agency has never been as secretive as that of the incumbent director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA0, Mr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi.
So far in its history, NIMASA (that is from 1987 when it was created) has had 10 chief executive officers. When it was NMA, it had: Dr Bassey Ekong (now deceased), Alhaji Munir Ja’far, Engr Buba Galadima, Mr Patrick Egesi, Dr George Eneh, Mr Ferdinand Agu and Engr Festus Ugwu(now deceased). And since it became NIMASA, following the merger with the Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC), it has also had Mrs Mfon Usoro, Dr Ade Dosunmu, Mr Temisan Omatseye, and now, Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi.
While the bio-data of these personalities are well known and non-controversial, the real background of Mr Akpobolokemi is shrouded in secrecy to maritime industry stakeholders so much so that certain individuals and groupos have threatened to challenge his appointment unless he releases his background for the world to peruse.
While not taking sides, the bio-data of previous CEOs of either NMA or NIMASA is public knowledge. This what thye brought into the industry as at when they were appointed: Late Ekong was a transportant, Munir is a lawyer, Galadima is an engineer, Egesi a UK trained maritime expert, Dr Eneh is a world bank transport expert, Mr Agu is an architect. The last DG of NMA; Festus Ugwu was an engineer.
And when NIMASA was created in 2003, the lot fell on Mrs Usoro, a well known maritime lawyer, after her came Dr Ade Dosunmu; an administrator and later Mr Temisan Omatseye; also a maritime lawyer.
While some have argued that it is not compulsory that the DG of NIMASA should declare his true identity, others have insisted that the enormity of his responsibilities require that stakeholders should know his areas of strength and weaknesses and that these can only be identified through his curriculum vitae.
According to its enabling Act, no one can be appointed as DG of NIMASA unless he or she is a person with “relevant experience and capacity applicable to maritime administration, recognised expert knowledge, qualification and experience in one or more of the following fields: Maritime Safety, Maritime Security, Maritime Pollution, Nautical Sciences and Hydrography, Marine Engineering, Marine Law, Transport Logistics, Administration; and Marine Labour”.
The same Act stipulates the responsibilities of the DG to include: the execution of the policies and decisions of the Agency’s Board, the organization, control and management of the day-to-day business of the
Agency, implementation of the Agency’s functions and ensuring that the Agency achieves its goals, direction, supervision and control of other employees of the Agency,
No doubt, these are enormous responsibilities which, on the surface, also require that the holder of the office of DG of MINASA must indeed be ‘an industry man’.
And as it is traditional, praise singers have started sending solidarity messages to him and assuring him of total support. Some have even gone to the ridiculous extent of arguing that arguments about the qualification or otherwise of Mr Akpobolokemi is irrelevant and that it does not matter whether or not the appointment of the new DG is in contravention of the NIMASA Act.
Top on the list is the Indigenous Ship owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN) whose leadership has already pledged its loyalty to the DG and has also rhetorically urged him to assist indigenous ship owners to take their rightful place in the maritime sector.
As he has always, the association’s chairman, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, lamented that multinationals have bastardised the sector and dominated Cabotage trade.
For the umpteenth time, Jolapamo had advised the DG that “what we want you to do is to check who are the real stakeholders in the industry, most of our members are being hunted by banks, our love is to create employment for Nigerians and not just to make money, it is to place Nigeria and Nigerians in a better side in the international community.”
In the other camp where those who are opposed to his appointment hold sway, Mr Akpobolokemi has been challenged to make his bio-data public. They have alleged that the DG does not possess the qualifications that are specified in the Act.
In all of these, what thing stands out and that is the fact that Mr Akpobolokemi is the first chief executive of NIMASA to be roundly challenged to ‘unveil’ himself.
It is pertinent to point out here that our agreement with those who are clamouring that the new DG should let the industry into his post- appointment pedigree has nothing to do with whether or not he will perform.
We share the position of those who argue that the so-called professionals have not done so well for the industry as chief executives of NIMASA or even NMA. They point at the unequalled achievements of Mr Ferdinand Agu (an architect) when he was GD of the old NMA and also quickly remember the feats of Dr Ade Dosunmu (a public administrator) as a DG of NIMASA.
The maritime industry and indeed NIMASA deserves a direction and we think that a DG of NIMASA who is not encumbered in anyway will be highly appreciated.
We are also of a very strong opinion that there may have been a clear violation of the 2003 NIMASA Act in the appointment of Mr Akpobolokemi. It therefore behooves on him, the board and the minister of transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman put a stiop to the argument by unveiling the background of Mr Akpobolokemi and even that of other board members.
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