The Federal Government has hinted of plans to reconstitute the Boards of Directors of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT).
The agencies under FMOT include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Maritime Academy of Nigeria and Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 bars political appointees from voting or being voted for at party primaries. Based on the provisions of the Act, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered all political appointees including Ministers, Ambassadors and heads of agencies interested in participating in the 2023 general election to resign on or before May 16.
The Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, confirmed in Lagos on Friday that the reconstitution of the boards of the agencies became necessary following the resignation of some members to contest primary election under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Findings by SHIPS & PORTS revealed that the Chairman of NIMASA Board, Asita O. Asita and the Chairman of NPA Board, Akinwunmi Rickets, contested APC primary elections for senatorial tickets in Rivers and Cross River states respectively.
“Yes, it’s true that Mr. President asked all political appointees who are interested in elective positions to resign, and I can tell you that some of the members of the Boards of NIMASA and NPA have sent in their resignation letters.
“When next the Governing Boards meet and those members who contested elections for elective positions sit with them, then you can raise this question again, but to the best of my knowledge, some letters have come in concerning resignation of some members of these Boards.
“I have barely had time to go through some of these letters and other files as I have been in Lagos all through the week inspecting the state of our ports and rail infrastructure. So I might not be able to tell you categorically who has resigned and who has not,” Saraki said while responding to questions on the fate of the Board members.
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