DESPITE the directive by the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to the  management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to stay action on all staff  deployment, retirement and appointment, the agency may have flouted the directive  as a new re-deployment exercise has taken place.
Although, the deployment exercise is yet to be made public,  sources close to the office of the Director-General of NIMASA told Vanguard that Hajia Lami Tumaka who  heads   Public Affairs has now been moved to head the Maritime Guard Command of the agency while, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi takes over as Head of Public affairs .
Besides, Mr. Abass Olayemi who until now was NIMASA’s zonal Co-ordinator in the Eastern zone in Port Harcourt is to take over from Mohammed Sanni who goes to Servicom as Head.
Though Vanguard could  not ascertain how many officer were re-deployed, the source also said that some of the affected officers have been given letters to that effect.
Mrs. Mayen Obi has been re-deployed to the office of the Director-General as legal adviser
One of the affected officers  who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity said that the move by management is a clear violation of the Senate’s directive on such matters.
It would  be recalled that the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and the Independent  Corruption Practice Commission  (ICPC), about three weeks ago  summoned the Director -General of the agency Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi  to its office in Abuja to explain the rationale behind the pre-mature retirement  of some directors and the impending retirement of another set of deputy directors.
Tension and uncertainty now pervades the corridors of the Agency, as nobody  knows what next to expects
It will also be recalled the Director General was told to stay action on further issues pertaining  staff appointments, retirements and  employment following the sudden retirement of four directors whose severance package range between N75 million and N200 million, and impending retirement of another set of deputy directors of the agency appears to have set off the inquest.
The Senate, it will be recalled,  was still investigating the matter as at the time of filling this report
Trouble started when the Director General of the agency reportedly asked some serving Directors to proceed on their retirement leave even though they were not due to go.
The affected Directors were offered a package that was later referred to as a ‘Golden hand Shake’, meaning that they will get three times their severance package if they accept the offer and leave.
Investigations revealed that the first set of four directors wrote back to management to know what they will get if they decide to take the offer and the management wrote back to tell them that they will get three times their severance package if they retire voluntarily.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that the  Nigerian Navy may have withdrawn its men and officers attached to the NIMASA’s Maritime  Guard Command (MGC) following Navy’s withdrawal from the Memorandum of Understanding it went into with NIMASA to tackle the menace of piracy  on both the nation’s coastal and territorial waters.
Source close to the MGC disclosed that the Navy is only trying to review the MOU it went into with NIMASA with a view to strengthening the partnership.
Via: http://www.vanguardngr.com/
