Reorganization of NPA, NIMASA Management Triggers Fresh Anxiety

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

There are reports of fresh anxieties hanging in the air following the changes made in the management structure of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), two key agencies in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

With similar sweeping restructuring carried out at the aviation ministry recently, those in executive management cadre of the remaining agencies in the marine and blue economy are said to be jittery, as their counterparts at NPA and NIMASA were yesterday summarily relieved of their jobs by Preident Bola Tinubu.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced the changes in a statement he issued on Thursday, in which sacked all NPA Executive Directors and had them replaced with Ms. Vivian Edet as Executive Director, Finance and Administration; Olalekan Badmus as Executive Director, Marine and Operations and Ibrahim Umar as Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services.

The statement titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new executive directors in agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’, also named new executive directors for NIMASA, namely: Jibril Abba Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services; Mr. Chudi Offodile Executive Director, Finance and Administration and Fatai Adeyemi Executive Director, Operations.

It is to be noted that Mr. Chudi Offodile NIMASA new Executive Director, Finance and Administration, who survived the putsh is the only ED left standing in the affeted parastatals, so far.

Ngelale stated that the President approved the appointments with the firm belief that “the new appointees will expeditiously and efficiently execute on their collective mandate to create the conditions required to significantly raise the contribution of the Marine and Blue Economy sector to the nation’s GDP.”

According to him, Tinubu also expects the new appointees to transform the Nigerian economy into a labour-intensive and inclusive one that creates new opportunity for all Nigerians in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda, under the guidance of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON.

However the development according to industry feelers has sparked a fresh round of worry amongst executive management staffers in the remaining agencies.