By Stephen Ubanna
Barshir Jamoh, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, appears to have taken advantage of the good working relationship between the Management and the Hon. Aiata .O. Assita led Board to secure approval for the promotion of 595 members of Staff, both Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and other categories of Staff .
Not many people were surprised that he could put smiles on the faces of Staff barely six months of assumption of office. He may have given hint of his plan as a focused and resourceful Staff with 17- year experience in the nation’s maritime sector when he promised ‘’to hit the ground running immediately on assumption of office last March.
The enthusiasm ion the faces of the promoted Staff speaks volume.Indeed, wherever two or three members of Staff of the Maritime Regulatory agency gather together, the issue of the Jamoh promotion exercise dominated their discussion.
A Statement by Philip Kyanet, a Deputy Director, and Head of the agency Corporate Communications, said nine Deputy Directors were promoted to substantive Directors. He disclosed that 45 Assistant Directors including himself, were elevated to the position of Deputy Directors while 71 other senior Staff of the agency were promoted to Assistant Directors including Osagie, who until his elevation to the position of an Assistant Director, was a Chief Public Relation Officer, in the agency Corporate Affairs Department.
Among the Deputy Directors who were said to have been elevated to Directors were Jida Aishatu, the agency Head of ISPS Unit, Egbuche Rita, Head, Marine Accident Investigations, Audu Sani, Head, Western Zone, and Olamide Odusanya, Head internal Audit.
Other Deputy Directors that were said to have been upgraded by the Jamoh led Management Team as approved by The Board included Aslem Nwanze, Head Legal Services Unit, Egejuru Victor, Head, SERVICOM, Bolaji Kehinde, Head ,Reform Coordination Unit, Kabiru Munai, Head, Marine Environment Department and Felicia Mogo.
An Assistant Director , who made it to the Deputy Director’s list was , who was cited by The Value News in the joyous mood with one of his Colleague on Thursday, August 20, 2020 described the promotion as the handwork of God . They were said to have promised to justify their of new level of responsibility in office.
The Magazine learnt that the plan to promote the deserving Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and other categories of Staff , was in the agenda of the previous Management led by Peterside, a loyalist of Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state and minister of Transport. The The then NIMASA Management under the close watch of Peterside, Rivers state born politician could have implemented the plan because of alleged poor working relationship with the board.
It was not surprising why the beneficiaries of the recent promotion exercise in the agency had described Jamoh ‘’as a man of action who cares for the wlfare of the Staff. The NIMASA , Director General, who could not hide his feelings had told the new Directors and other beneficiaries of the promotion exercise that ’’to whom much is given much is expected’’.
He noted that ’’the promotion is intended to reinvigorate the attitude of Staff to work and bring about more commitment towards transforming the fortunes of the nation’s maritime sector’’.
Jamoh , according to insider sources has a mindset’’ that well- motivated Staff are the driving force for the maritime Industry transformation and Economic development’’ This may have informed why he is paying much attention to Staff welfare.
. The good news is that newly promoted Staff had given their words to support the Jamoh led Management to achieve the agency core responsibility of promoting and regulating shipping in the country. They were said to have also given their promise to queue into the Director General’s agenda of ensuring security of Nigerian maritime domain for ease of maritime transportation, which is one of the critical catalysts, for the country’s ecomic development..
Recall that in taking over from Peterside , a former Director General of the agency, he had solicited the support of the Staff to join hands with the new Management under his close watch ‘’to build an enduring and prosperous maritime sector’’.