With every sense of modesty, but as have become near-routine, SHIPS & PORTS DAILY yet again scored another major scoop Tuesday, January 15, 2013, “… the voice of the maritime industry” broke the story of a shake up of the top management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) The story bore the banner headline: Massive shake up in NPA. The rider was: All GMs, Port Mngrs affected.
We strongly believe that the shake up is the outcome of the recent two-day NPA Strategy Session on Project Implementation, and a desire to make necessary amends and improve on the performance of the organisation.
We align with the great thought that the only constant in life is change itself. It was change that catapulted incumbent Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer , NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, from his former position as Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NPA, to succeed Engr. Omar Suleiman as substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
It was change that propelled Suleiman as NPA helmsman to announce certain changes in the management set-up, including redeployment and re-designation of Port Managers as Port Administrators, an appellation used at one time in the NPA organogram.
Curiously, the changes, which the Authority officially announced through its Public Affairs Department turned out abortive, and the reason(s) have not been placed in the public domain till date.
Our take on the issue is that interests spawned by the veritable Politicians Paradise that is the NPA truncated Suleiman’s dreams, because these did not tally with theirs. Proper information management, which was not at a premium over the issue, only compounded matters and industry watchers’ angst.
Suleiman’s tenure as NPA helmsman has ended, but we cannot but still wonder what impact his attempted shake up would have had on the Authority if it had been realised.
Abdullahi’s tenure is running, and we can only wish that it runs well, and, if changes in positions in the NPA be of any help in these regard, please, let these be.
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