Promotes 298 staff in 2016, 638 in 2018 and 256 in 2019.

Dr. Dakuku Peterside, DG NIMASA

From March 2016 when Dr. Dakuku Peterside was appointed Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, developments in the Agency have been swift and rapid.

While issues of Safety and Security are globally concerns, the spate of criminalities on Nigerian waters are still bothersome matters over which Dakuku and his management team sprout grey hairs increasingly.

Staff motivation and provision of incentives are essentials in achieving efficiency in the work place. It is understandable therefore that colleagues, family and friends rejoice when promotions in the work place are earned.

From 2016 to date NIMASA under Dakuku has promoted one thousand, one hundred and ninety-one (1, 191) staffs of the Agency.

The break down shows that while one hundred and eighty-one, (181), management staffs were promoted within the period, another one thousand and eleven (1, 011) non-management staff were also promoted within same period.

In 2016, Hajia Lami Tumaka led the pack of those who were promoted under Dakuku. She was among the 76 management staff promoted that year and 222 non-management staff.

In 2018, Head of Internal Audit, Mr. Victor Onuzuruike was among the 85 management staff promoted that year. 553 non-management staff were among those promoted as well.

In 2019, in addition to Easter incentives enjoyed by staffs of the Agency, 20 management staff and 236 non-management staff had their Easter spiced with promotions.

Top on the list of management staff promoted is the Alternate Permanent Representative of the Agency at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Dikko Bala.  He is among the 20 management staff elevated by the governing Council of NIMASA.

All promotions under the Dakuku led management were ratified at meetings of the Governing Council of the Agency under the Chairmanship of Major General Jonathan India Garba (rtd).

Are these promotions in any way influenced by management? Are beneficiaries selected, handpicked or nominated by heads of their departments? Are there staffs of the Agency who have not been promoted from 2016 to date?

Why were those promoted promoted and those not promoted left in their ranks in the past three years or more?

What is the criteria for promotion? What evaluation mechanism was deployed in assessing staffs for promotion and otherwise?

Has the promotions translated to greater out puts, dedication and commitment to duty by staffs?

What is the job description/daily work schedule of workers of the Agency like?

Announcing the promotions in 2016, the Director General of the Agency had said, “It is true that the reward for hard work is more work, but on the other hand, hard work also comes with promotion. On our part as Executive Management we will continue to ensure that promotion exercises are conducted on a yearly basis and as at when due so that staff can be motivated to give their best to the course of rebranding the Agency and repositioning the maritime sector for greater efficiency. By this we will be able to focus and realize our mandates as an Agency,” the DG said.

While there are staffs of the Agency who are earning every kobo of their pay, a maritime analyst who does not want his name in print said there are thousands of others who do very little or nothing daily.

Notwithstanding, on the 2019 promotions, Dakuku insists that, “Our determination to continue to motivate the Agency’s workforce remains unwavering. This was a rigorous but fair process, and in this wise, I will like to congratulate the newly promoted staff of the Agency and to say to them that the reward for hard work is more work. On our part as Executive Management, we will continue to ensure that staff are promoted as and when due so that they can remain motivated to give their best in the Agency’s drive to reposition the maritime industry.”

NIMASA as Nigeria’s sole maritime regulator has enormous responsibilities. From Maritime Education and training, Safety and Security, Search and Rescue, Pollution management/Control, Cabotage, Vessel Financing/Acquisition, Capacity Building, Dock Labour issues amongst others, the Agency has its schedule of responsibilities loaded and brimming.

Promotions are a welcomed development any day in any organization but are they an annual occurrence?

A retired civil servant who prefers to remain anonymous told Maritime Nigeria that promotions are dynamic and depends on vacancies in any Agency. Has there been only a thousand vacancies in NIMASA in the past three years?

What is happening in other Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation, FMOT?

The beneficiaries of the promotions at NIMASA must sit up and justify their promotions and if there are staffs who are due for promotions but have not been promoted, management must look inward, create harmony within its work force and reassure all its staffs that none will be short changed in matters of promotion and welfare at the Agency.

Recall that in 2015 following the removal of Dr. Patrick Akpbolokemi, prior to the appointment of Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the transport minister, Hon. Rotomi Amaechi had ordered for staff audit and evaluation at NIMASA.

It is not clear whether then acting Director General Mr. Haruna Jauro complied with that directive. Those were the days of dog eat dog and banana peels at NIMASA when promotions were rare and uncommon.

Maritime stakeholder we spoke with wanted to know-has these recent promotions have been carried out in compliance with existing Civil Service Rules/Guidelines?

Efforts to get the names and more details of these recent promotions at the NIMASA websites were unsuccessful owing to network issues and or a combinations of factors beyond our control.