The Federal Government a few weeks back, on recommendation by the Minister of Transport appointed the following Executive Directors; Mr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh is the Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr. Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin is the Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development while Mr. Gambo Ahmed is the Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, THISDAY Newspaper Reports
The Executive Director Finance and Administration, Mr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh is the son-inlaw to President Mohammadu Buhari. Until his appointment, he was an Assistant Director in NIMASA in charge of Training and Development. He had served in the Kaduna State government before transferring his services to the then National Maritime Authority (NMA) in 1994. Jamoh also holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, with a Diploma in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Mr. Jamoh an Assistant Director is being elevated to an Executive Director, ahead of his superiors, which goes contrary to Nigerian civil services guidelines. Some may say that this was a political appointment but Mr Jamoh never resigned from NIMASA before being elevated to his new position. Based on fairness to official hierarchy which was applied to oust a former Executive Director, Mr. Callistus Nwabueze Obi in favour of Mr. Haruna Jauro who was a NIMASA acting DG for 72 hours after his former boss (DG) was sacked, Mr Jamoh should not have been elevated to this position.
His appointment above his superiors is a major disregard to due process. Obviously you don’t expect a director to take directives from a one time subordinate. This type of appointment breeds bad blood and puts a clog in the wheels of operations and administrative duties. In fact I am compelled to believe he was appointed because he is a son- inlaw to President Mohammadu Buhari, being married to his daughter. This is a deceitful and improper appointment.
Another ED appointee, Mr. Joseph Oluwarotimi Fashakin, is a well-known APC mouthpiece as they sought for this change agenda and quite vocal to say the least. He is the Executive Director in charge of Maritime Safety and Shipping Development. He is a Telecommunication Engineer having graduated from the University of Ife with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Mr. Fashakin is a career telecommunication engineer and his appointment gratifies the saying that states ‘putting a square peg in a round hole’! He is versed in his qualifications cum experience albeit in the communication sector and one wonders why he was not appointed into the Nigerian Communication Commission, (NCC) or even the Nigerian broadcasting Commission (NBC) where his experience will be brought to bear and well appreciated. What does Mr. Fashakin bring to the table as far as Maritime Safety and Shipping Development are concerned?
Finally, the third appointee, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, the Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services holds a Bachelor’s degree in (Business Administration) Actuarial Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Masters in Banking and Finance from the Bayero University, Kano. Mr. Gambo has spent a number of years of his career in the financial sector. If common sense had prevailed in this process, he should have been assigned to Mr. Jamoh’s portfolio of finance and administration or better still sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) where his wealth of experience in the sector would be well appreciated. At a time when our economy is in dire straits, he should have been able to introduce innovative concepts and ideas to the nation’s stock exchange market and by so doing set a pathway to revamping our ailing economy. These appointments are truly lopsided and unthoughtful for NIMASA’s progress.
