By Stephen Ubanna
Abuabakar Dantsoho, a for Chief of Staff to Muazu Jaji Sambo, an Engineer and ex-minister of Transportation, during President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, now split into two : ministry of Tansportation and ministry of marine and marine Economy, appears to have seen his appointment as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, as home Coming.
This may have informed why he has the appropriate message to send to the staff, Union Leaders and industry stakeholders at any given time he has opportunity of meeting with them since his assumption of office last July.
Given his background as a former Assistant General Manager and Technical Assistant to the Managing Director of a one-time Managing Director of the Authority and Port Manager, Onne Port and Principal Manager, Tariff and Billing, may have fully prepared him to under stand the problems of the staff and how to get the best out of them to enhance productivity and improve the revenue generation of the Maritime Agency under the Blue Economy regime.
Given that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu , who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos, a littoral state, expects of NPA, under the Leadership of Abubakar, ‘’to employ excellence in the discharge of his duties to ensure efficient port operations and improved port revenue may have informed why he has decided to carry everybody along.
Dantsoho, the NPA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, may have shown that he is ready to maintain a close working relationship with the staff to move the industry forward when he recently met with the Leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Government Owned Companies , SSAGOC, and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, led by Adewale Adeyanju, who is President General of the MWUN at the marina Headquarters of the agency.
The NPA, CEO, may have taken advantage of the meeting with the Unions Leaders to reaffirm the agency Management under his Leadership,’’ to boost staff development, productivity, and industry revenue generation’’.
The former Chief of Staff to Engr.Sambo, a former minister of Transportation, who could not hide his feelings was said to have expressed his appreciation in receiving the Leadership of two Maritime related Unions to rub minds on how to move the industry forward to meet the expectation and Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu’s Administration.
The new NPA helmsman was said to have emphasized the need ‘’to position Authority to perform its primary role in trade facilitation efficiently’’, stating that ‘’with the right communication and dialogue’’ with the Union Leaders and staff, they will get there soon.
He may have gladdened the heart of Adeyanju, the MWUN, President General and other Union Leaders wwho were said to have accompanied him on the recent visit to NPA, when he assured of his ‘’determination ‘’to strengthen the organizational culture of the Authority for the overall good of all’’.
Given an insider information, Mrs. Ballah Sarah, an Assistant General Manager and Head of Corporate and Strategic Communications of the agency, had said that he had called for continued ‘’collaboration and harmony from the Unions’’ to take the maritime agency to another level where Nigeria, a maritime nation, can effectively Compete with other maritime nations across the world.
In apparent reactions to the NPA boss remarks, the MWUN, President General, was said to have Congratulated Dantsoho, on his well- deserved appointment as the CEO, of NPA, urging him ‘’to take another look into’’ the issues of staff welfare and remuneration’’, which the Union Leaders believes had been neglected by past Administrations of the agency despite repeated assurances. He was said to have expressed confidence in the abilities of the new NPA, Managing Director, ‘’to bring about the desired improvements in the Authority and the nation’s maritime sector in general, as one of them, who understands the problems of the industry and how to address it to achieve results.
Akinola Bodunde, President, SSASGOC, on his part, while congratulating Dantsoho, in his appointment as the Managing Director of NPA, to replace Mohammed Bello-Koko, who came from the Banking sector to become the Managing Director of NPA, as he had to tart studying from the scratch how the nation’s maritime functions to keep abreast with its operations, was said to have pledged to support the new NPA Management who understands the language of the industry to achieve the much expected growth in the industry and improved welfare if the workforce to guarantee industrial harmony without throwing the port into crisis as was the case in the past where the MWUN, leaders call out the seafarers to down tools at the slightest disagreement with the Management.
Ifeanyi Mazzeli, President of the MWUN, NPA, Branch, who may have seen the visit to the NPA, Leadersip as his own event and opportunity to shine, was said to have expressed ‘’the Union’s Commitment towards promoting dialogue with the new Management under the Leadership of Dantsoho, described as a member of the NPA family, to further enhance the nation’s maritime sector.
As a prelude to putting some of the demands that had been made by the Unions Leaders into action, the meeting between the two Union Leaders were said to have had in attendance two key players in the affairs of the Government owned agency like Mrs. Vivian Richard, Executive Director, Finance and Administration and Olalekan Bdmus, an Engr. Executive Director, Marine and Operations.
