NIMASA Initiatives
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Initiatives
My Mandate by Patrick Akpobolokemi
L-R: Chief Isaac Jolapomo, Patrick Akpobolokemi, Idris Umar at a Public function
The Government, Federal Republic of Nigeria appointed me to offer quality leadership, progressive thinking and direction for Nigeria’s maritime industry. I am to ensure that Nigerians begin to reap from our water born resources. I have a mandate to make sure that Nigeria complies with the International Maritime organization, IMO standards, effect Pollution Control, implement Cabotage to the latter, ensure Safety and Security, work out and restore a national carrier for Nigeria/Nigerians, maintain Seafarers Standards and give impetus to Nigeria’s quest to be the leading maritime nation in Africa in the next few years. No amount of soldiers, no matter how large the number of police men we deploy, peace will elude us if we do not create jobs for our people. The media cannot afford to compromise. It serves all sectors of the economy, everybody. The entire society will be in serious trouble once the media becomes sectional. The media inter-connects us all. It runs through the veins of societies. Its importance cannot be over emphasized. I have a mandate to ensure professionalism/efficiency for maritime media through capacity building and trainings, regularly. Nigeria is the only country we can call our own. The time has come o turn away from selfish considerations, false loyalty, sycophancy, betrayal, lust and envy. Let us instead come together and work towards a greater Nigeria. Why do people fight each other? Why do people take to crime-stealing oil meant for all Nigerian? Why do people cheat and lie? Why do people engage in illegal activities even when they know the consequences of such illegalities? Why do people, who, knowing the right thing, refuse to do it? Why is our maritime industry…and other sectors of the economy not where they should be? Is it because Nigerians do not know what to do? Is it because we lack ideas? We have the people. We have the answers. We know the solutions. In all sectors, the men and women are there who know what to do…but are they doing what they ought to do? If yes, then why are we where we are and if not why not? These are challenges we face and which i have been given a mandate to look into and provide answers to challenges the maritime industry.
Nigeria is the only country we can call our own. The time has come o turn away from selfish considerations, false loyalty, sycophancy, betrayal, lust and envy. Let us instead come together and work towards a greater Nigeria
When the Olusegun Obasanjo led government merged the then Joint Maritime Industrial Council, JOMALIC to the defunct National Maritime Authority, NMA, in 2006 to form the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NAMASA, now NIMASA-Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, government intention was to forge a stronger synergy, evolve an improved and more efficient/effective maritime administration regime in Nigeria.
The events that followed few months after the establishment of NIMASA with Barrister Mrs. Ekong Usoro as Director General, set the stage for a chain of events that almost resulted in eclampsia for NIMASA were it not for the doggedness and ruggedness of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was President during the period.
What began as minor internal protests/agitations over the appointment of Usoro as Director General who was tagged an outsider (notwithstanding her contributions to, understanding of and involvement in the drafting of the Cabotage Act 2003 and the NIMASA Act 2007 respectively) degenerated into name calling and writing of petitions. Nigerian newspapers and some maritime publications which delight in publishing such materials feasted on the development.
To calm nerves and restore sanity, Usoro was relieved of the assignment and Dr. Ade Dosunmu, an Executive Director then, appointed to take her place. From NPA to NIMASA, Dosunmu could not be called an “outsider” but because some persons felt it was either them or no one else Dosunmu, after a few months as DG became the centre of investigations by other government agencies as instigated by power seekers within and outside NIMASA. Again, because a distracted chief executive cannot function optimally, barely a year after his appointment as Director General, NIMASA, Dosunmu too, had to be replaced; this time by Temisan Omatseye.
Knowing the NIMASA story, Omatseye came prepared to hand over to those who would take over from him, this he disclosed at his first media parley when he said “we shall put a programme in place, which if diligently implemented, by those who will take over from us would transform the sector”. It was a wonderful presentation from him that faithful day in the NIMASA board room which he recreated. Alas, his exuberance and enthusiasm in the gale that followed withered. To remove wrecks, Omatseye too was removed, few months after. Who would succeed Omatseye? We need a technocrat. We need a maritime “expert”. No! a Professor of maritime law would be the best. “Let us have an “insider” we need one of us.
The views and opinions on who should succeed Omatseye were as divergent and as colourful (some say colorless) as the appointment of a football coach for the Nigerian Super Eagles and as varied as football match analysis, especially after defeats!
The job of the Director General some stakeholders posited is to manage, administrate and implement government policies; when the name Patrick Zediake Akpobolokemi was announced as Director General, NIMASA. Lobbyists, politicians and contractors who, unfamiliar with neither the name nor face, were, to say the least, dazed!
The usual feeling of betrayal and or disappointment that follows when things don’t go our way was openly expressed by notable figures in the sector. After the hue and cry and the unwavering stance of the Federal Government in the appointment, instead of dissipating energy, time and resources, opposing factions, seeing the calmness, youthfulness and zeal in Akpobolokemi, had no choice but to align, collaborate and join hands to steer MV NIMASA from troubled waters to safety. When a man is passionate and committed to his job/calling even his worst critic will sooner or later get subsumed by his focus and perseverance.
Determined to succeed, Akpobolokemi, while some maritime “experts” were busy, or as his name sake, Patrick Obahiagbon would put it “frolicking in between dark alleys and corridors of power to have their candidate as DG NIMASA, put his nose to the grinding stone, ignored his detractors, heeded good counsel; calmly, quietly, he concentrated and today, NIMASA has recorded feats in several areas which from inception suffered neglect.
