Akpobolokemi continues re-jig of NIMASA ,Moves 4 Deputy Directors

In the wake of his being reprimanded by the Senate for allegedly flouting Federal Character principle in the recruitment of staff, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, has reshuffled four Deputy Directors.
The redeployment affected Messrs Olayemi Abass, Isichie Osangbi, Sani Mohammed and Hajiya Lami Tumaka.
Abbass was moved from his former post at the NIMASA Eastern Zone, Port-Harcourt, to the Director-General’s Office, Maritime House, Apapa, Lagos.
Isichie Osangbi, who SHIPS & PORTS DAILY gathered was employed as a Deputy Director about seven months ago and had been at the NIMASA Abuja Office, now takes over from Tumaka as Deputy Director, Public Relations.

Tumaka is now Deputy Director, Maritime Guard Command, taking over from Mrs. Mayen Obi at the NIMASA multi-disciplinary task force.
Mohammed was moved from the Director-General”s Office to the Agency’s Service Compact (Servicom) Unit.
As at the time of going to press, there was neither formal confirmation nor denial of the redeployment of the quartet by the NIMASA Management.
Sequel to the earlier front page lead report of Monday, April 29, 2013, with the headlineETHNIC CLEANSING! Akpobolokemi targets non-Ijaw at NIMASA … Moves to sack Tumaka, Mgbemena, others, SHIPS & PORTS DAILY on Friday, May 3, 2013, in the story headlinedAkpobolokemi confirms flouting Federal Character principle … As Senate alleges ethnicity in NIMASA recruitment reported thus: “The nation’s apex maritime regulatory organ, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), is presently being run in utter disregard to the principle of Federal Character that serves to help weld Nigeria’s varied peoples in some semblance of equity.

“No less a person than the the incumbent NIMASA Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, made this startling revelation when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character.
“Akpobolokemi, who had been summoned to appear before the Senate Committee on Federal Character, which is investigating alleged job racketeering in the government agencies, had admitted that NIMASA is not up to 80 per cent compliant to the Federal Character principle.
“NIMASA, according to him, is doing everything possible to ensure that it complies in its recruitment exercises.
“On the alleged compulsory retirement by so-called ‘golden handshake’ of certain staff, who had not attained their due date, Akpobolokemi claimed that there has never been a time that the NIMASA forced anybody out of service.
“He said that those who quit NIMASA left voluntarily.

“Noting that there the ‘golden handshake’ was a reality, the NIMASA boss explained that the four staff who were leaving would also be sent to the United Kingdom (UK) for pre-retirement training at the expense of the Agency.
“Many other members of staff, according to him, have been expressing their willingness to leave service before their due date of retirement.
“Beaming its searchlight NIMASA, members of the nation’s upper legislative house had accused Akpobolokemi of allegedly flouting the Federal Character principle in the apex maritime regulatory agency’s recent recruitment exercise.
“The NIMASA Director-General denied the allegation of favouring certain states or geo-political zones of the country in retiring people from the service.

“The Senate Committee on Federal Character faulted Akpobolokemi over alleged forced retirement of certain Deputy Directors and Directors, who, under the guise of “golden handshake”, were replaced on the ground of ethnicity by younger and inexperienced personnel.
“Contributing to the matter, a member of the committee, Senator Ali Ndume, said that the so-called ‘golden handshake’ allegedly dispensed to four NIMASA staff retired four years before their due date, was ‘an arm-twisting exercise aimed at creating space for some younger elements from a particular zone of the country.’
“Also speaking, Committee Chairman, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, described the last recruitment exercise conducted by NIMASA as unhealthy.
“Kuta noted that during that particular exercise, Bayelsa State allegedly had 25 persons employed, while neighbouring Rivers State had only three people recruited.
“Urging the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Prof. Abdulrahman Oba, to furnish the committee with the names of the right and genuine candidates that would fill the posts being vacated by the affected people in the NIMASA ‘golden handshake’ retirement exercise, Kuta posited that this would help to ascertain whether the Agency has totally violated the Federal Character principle.”