NPA’s Alleged Executive Management Fight: The Half Truth & Truth

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

Just so Nigerians don’t get carried away with the apparent misinformation about the purported ‘infighting’ between the top management cadre at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), perhaps, this article should begin by correcting the impression that the sacking of executive directors (EDs) alongside the chief executive officers (CEOs) of federal government agencies in the maritime sector is a thumb rule.

It is not! Even in cases where such appears to have been the norm in other segment of the public service, like in the military, police and other specialized agencies, situations have largely not been the same and thus, it is inappropriate and in fact, incorrect, to suggest that by any breathe of the imagination, every time a CEO retires or gets relieved of his or her position, management co-chiefs must bow out as well.

The rumour that the NPA Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho is having a running battle with his EDs or put differently, having difficulty to subordinate the EDs for a focused, efficient, team work sounds mischievous and in the least, appears to be begging the question.

Recent speculation that Dantsoho is engaged in a roforofo with his EDs, namely, Mallam Umar, Executive Director for Engineering and Ms Vivian Edet, Executive Director for Finance and Administration is hardly the case; Pinnacle Time can report authoritatively. It would appear that there are also no evidences to support the claim that both EDs lobbied to replace the immediate past NPA CEO, Mohammed Bello-Koko, upon his retirement.

The suggestion that Bello-Koko should have been disengaged alongside his EDs is not only fallacious, narrow minded and misleading in the absence of any tangible, compelling reasons; it smacks of intellectual rascality and morbid disregard for organisational stability.

The NPA is too strategic an organization to be reduced to unwarranted, petty board politics since such can trigger a regrettable loss of focus, lead to distractions and failed national development goal.

While every worker in an organization who feels sufficiently qualified has the legitimate right to aspire to higher or leadership position, checks indicate that there has been no such situation at the NPA; talk less of creating a dichotomy and leadership squabbles in the present dispensation.

Therefore, talks that before Dantsoho’s appointment as CEO, the executive directors lobbied their backers at the presidency to get the number one job is fussy, intellectually lazy and immaterial since the office is open to all Nigerians. It is therefore not to be overlooked that merchants of discord would stop at nothing to throw up dust in an otherwise quiet work environment.

Report that some contractors are unhappy about delays in releasing their files for payment at the ED(F&A’s) office, leading to further claims that NPA officials are extorting the contractors using delay tactics in the movement of their files at the engineering department can be no less embarrassing to Dantsoho, even though the report all seem fantastically, engineered.

There are strong indications that those fanning the ember of hate are disgruntled staffs of the organization that clearly, do not like the face of either Mallam Umar or Ms Edet; and wants them both out of NPA.

While the ED Finance and Admin may have created different impression for different workers, with some perceiving her as troublesome, dependable sources however exonerated her from the alleged acts of antagonizing Dantsoho.

“This misinformation is being directed by some disgruntled staff against the ED Finance and Admin. She is everybody’s problem but the story is not true. They may have their misgivings, which is normal but they work cordially with the Managing Director”, an impeccable source volunteered.

The source also faulted the reference that Engr. Omar Suleiman former NPA MD was disengaged alongside his EDs, noting that the development was one of pure coincidence.

“Omar Suleiman’s EDs left because their tenures expired and they were all insiders who worked with him. They were replaced by the most senior GMs, Habib as Ag. ED, F&A; Late Sotonye as ED, M&O and Mr. Nwobi as ED, E&TS.”

Our source also explained that prior  HabibAbdullahi’s tenure, outsiders executive directors merely served in acting capacity.

“It was when Habib was appointed as MD that substantive EDs were appointed, all from outside.”

Indeed, some of the claims that Dantsoho as Acting GM Servicom reportedly had altercations with Edet as ED Finance and Administration in respect of alleged public complaints on protracted delay of file movement in the former’s directorate as acting GM Servicom, also appears farfetched since Dantsoho never functioned as GM Servicom but was AGM Servicom; before becoming managing director.

The claim that the leadership tussle between the directors and the managing director is impacting negatively on efficiency and productivity in the authority, is thus politically motivated to get the EDs out of the way, through some subtle plots to sow division within the executive management.

To suggest that Dantsoho is running away from office by engaging in endless trips just to avoid meeting his EDs would appear to also be begging the question not only of his capacity to deliver on his assignment but indeed, on his availability to do his job.

But as already clearly stated, there is no truth in the claim that Dantsoho is having any running battles with his fellow directors, if anything, he must seriously be concerned with how best to deliver the most results within the time available to him.

It is least likely that Dantsoho would have the time to waste on trivialities such as the specious rumour that he is embroiled in leadership fight when he is thinking of what to report during the next independence anniversary; when he must have to a large extent, implemented his administration’s growth plans.