Govt probes recruitments, promotions at NIMASA

THE Federal Ministry of Transport has begun a review of employment, placement and promotion exercises embarked upon by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) since 2010.

The development came less than two weeks after a ministerial panel charged with the responsibility of investigating ongoing projects commenced sitting.

NIMASA explained yesterday that the committee, which is headed by the Ministry’s Director of Human Resources, Lawal Ibrahim, is expected to determine whether the employment, placement and promotion exercises in the agency from 2010 to date conformed to the civil service procedures and whether they were in line with the federal character principle.

Calling for an investigation of all recruitment exercises carried out by the former management of the agency, the workers alleged that some individuals were employed indiscriminately as deputy directors and directors, without following due process especially as stipulated by the Federal Character Commission.

Commenting on the exercise, the Acting Director General of NIMASA, Haruna Baba Jauro, said the main objective of the probe is to ensure proper staff placement in line with extant federal civil service regulations.

According to the NIMASA helmsman, in a statement issued by the agency’s Head, Public Relations, Hajia Lami Tumaka, the investigations would aid the process of motivating the staff of the Agency and get the best out of them in the discharge of their onerous responsibilities.

He said: “In the end, the interest of the staff will be protected as the civil service rule, which emphasises fairness and equity, will be the guiding principle of the exercise. We are confident that staff morale will be boosted for enhanced productivity when the process is completed.”

Jauro commended the Federal Ministry of Transport for its commitment to staff welfare and assured that NIMASA would continue to discharge its statutory responsibilities for the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.

The nine-member committee which has already commenced sitting, has a deadline of two weeks to complete the exercise and submit its recommendations to the Permanent Secretary, Mallam Mohammed Bashar.

The workers, had in the petition said: “We wish to respectfully put forward a formal complaint to you sir, as protest on the current trend in personnel management practice introduced by the present Executive Management of NIMASA in the name of reform by its administration.

“The personnel management style brought into the system is alien to both public and private sector personnel management practice in Nigeria and, perhaps, beyond.

“From 2010 when the present executive management assumed office, appointments, promotions and disciplines took a new dimension, that is not only dangerous but a path to total destruction of the system.

“The new approach introduced from 2010 turned logic upside down in personnel practice. It is on record that the management conducted personnel management as a personal and private affair where all known procedures and relevant establishment regulations in decision-making process are set aside.”

The petition alleged that one of the directors who was employed as a deputy director, was six months later redeployed to another department as acting director to replace a substantive director. “Interestingly by December 16, 2013, less than two years, he was confirmed a substantive director.”

The workers alleged that another officer was also recruited with effect from January 21, 2013 as deputy director “with no qualifications and experience to earn him that position. In a similar style, the officer’s appointment was claimed to be reviewed and placed on GL 17 with effect from 01/03/2015, just less than one week to a scheduled promotion interview in which he is to compete with career officers.”