NIMASA decries allegations of nepotism

• Says Agency’s structure based on merit and professionalism

The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has said that its attention has been drawn to a publication in an online medium, “Ships and Ports”, containing allegations of nepotism against the management of the Agency under the leadership of Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR.

A statement signed and released to the press by the Agency’s Assistant Director, Public Relations, Osagie Edward, said, “We wish to state categorically that this publication is subjective, smirking of mischief, skewed to achieve the goals of the fabricator, and meant to mislead Nigerians.

Explaining further, the spokesman said, “It is worthy of note that the Agency’s approved organogram has 9 directorates and 11 autonomous units. At present NIMASA has 12 Directors with all but one of them promoted under Jamoh’s administration.

“The breakdown shows that 5 are from South-South, 3 from South West, 2 from South East and 1 each from North East and North West. We wish to put on record that the two Directors promoted this year were both from Southern Nigeria. This implies that the ratio of the Agency’s Director from South to North is 10:2, representing over 83% Southern Directors, as against less than 17% Northern Directors.

“The Directors of Marine Environment Management Department, Special Duties, Data Management Services, Deep Blue and Secretary-General of Abuja MoU are all from the South-South geopolitical zone. The South West has Directors of Internal Audit, SERVICOM, and Maritime Labour Services Western Zone, while the Directors of Cabotage and Planning and Research Departments are from the South East. The North East and North West have one Director each, heading the Western Zonal Region and the Reform Coordination Unit, respectively.

“It is imperative to note that competent professionals from Southern Nigeria are heading seven (7) out of the eleven (11) autonomous units of the Agency including the Agency’s spokesperson who is from the South-South geopolitical Zone.

“While we urge media practitioners to always cross-check their facts before going to press, the allusion by Messrs Ships and Ports that the Agency has an office in Jos, Plateau State is misleading. This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is capable of misinforming the public, as the Agency has never operated an office in Plateau State.”  

The Agency went further to release the names and offices of the top 20 of its staff members and the geo-political zone they come from, to augment its argument, as shown by the appendix below:

APPENDIX

S/N	NAMES	PORTFOLIO	GEO POLITICAL ZONE
1.	Mr. Heaky Dimowo	Director, Marine Environment Management	South South
2.	Mr. Isichei Osamgbi	Director, Special Duties (External Relations & Technical Cooperation)	South South
3.	Engr. Chris Amakulo	Director, Data Management Services	South South
4.	Mr. Otonye Obom	Director, Deep Blue	South South
5.	Captain Sunday Umoren	Director & Secretary General Abuja, MoU	South South
6.	Mrs. Olamide Odusanya	Director, Internal Audit	South West
7.	Kehinde Bolaji	Director, SERVICOM	South West
8.	Mrs. Olubusola Akande-Obasanjo	Director, Maritime Labour Services, Western Zone	South West
9.	Mrs. Rita Uruakpa	Director, Cabotage Services	South East
10.	Mr. Eric Oji	Director, Planning Research & Data Management Services	South East
11.	Mr. Kabir Murnai	Director Western Zone	North West
12.	Hajia Aisha Jidda	Director, Reforms Coordination & Strategic Management	North East
13.	Hajia Aisha Idris	Head, Legal Services	North Central
14.	Mr. Abdullahi Mustapha	Head, Financial Services	North Central
15.	Mr. Khurason Inuwa	Head, Shipping Development	North West
16.	Mr. Danjuma Babah	Head, Procurement	North West
17.	Engr. Taiwo Olaniyan	Head, Maritime Safety & Seafarers Standards	South West
18.	Mrs. Nancy Oluoha	Head, Protocol	South East
19.	Mr. Tajudeen Yinka Giwa	Registrar of Shipping	North Central
20.	Mr. Osagie Edward	Head, Public Relations	South South