In response to a recent publication in the online medium “Ships and Ports,” the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has vehemently refuted allegations of nepotism against its management under the leadership of Dr. Bashir Jamoh OFR. The agency has labeled the article as biased, mischievous, and intended to mislead the public.
NIMASA highlights that its approved organogram consists of nine directorates and eleven autonomous units. Currently, the agency has twelve directors, with all but one of them being promoted during Dr. Jamoh’s tenure.
Providing a breakdown of the director composition, it reveals that five directors are from the South-South region, three from the South-West, two from the South-East, and one each from the North-East and North-West.
It should be noted that both directors promoted this year hail from Southern Nigeria. Consequently, the ratio of directors from the South to the North stands at 10:2, indicating over 83% representation from the Southern region, as opposed to less than 17% from the Northern region.
Notably, the directors of the Marine Environment Management Department, Special Duties, Data Management Services, Deep Blue, and the Secretary-General of the Abuja MoU are all from the South-South geopolitical zone. The South-West region is represented by directors of Internal Audit, SERVICOM, and Maritime Labour Services Western Zone.
Directors of Cabotage and Planning and Research Departments hail from the South-East, while the North-East and North-West have one director each, overseeing the Western Zonal Region and the Reform Coordination Unit, respectively.
Moreover, NIMASA emphasizes that competent professionals from Southern Nigeria head seven out of the agency’s eleven autonomous units, including the spokesperson, who hails from the South-South geopolitical zone.
While urging media practitioners to exercise diligence in fact-checking before publishing, NIMASA refutes the claim made by Ships and Ports that the agency maintains an office in Jos, Plateau State. Clarifying the matter, NIMASA asserts that it has never operated an office in Plateau State, and the reference made by the publication is a misrepresentation of facts that could potentially misinform the public.