The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, has inaugurated an 18-member staff joint consultative forum for the purpose of strengthening the relationship between the management and the entire workforce of the agency. Speaking during the official inauguration of the forum at the NIMASA headquarters in Lagos at the weekend, the DG noted that communication between the management and members of staff was key in efforts to move the maritime industry forward.

 The Director General, who was represented by the Director, Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Ronke Thomas, acknowledged the recent achievements in the agency’s core mandates, saying they have been driven by the motivation of the workforce.

 He stated: “Management is not about us and them; effective management is the ability to get the best out of the workforce and this we have always championed since we took leadership of this agency.

“We want to further give the workforce a voice, which will be another milestone in the history of this agency.”

 While stressing the importance of the consultative forum, the DG stated that as someone who rose through the ranks and spent over three decades in the industry, he was aware of the yearnings of the staff. He said he would prioritise anything that would grow the maritime industry in Nigeria.

 “My experience in this industry is a unique one,” he said, adding, “having risen through the ranks, I know what the staffers need to be more motivated and the ripple effect of what we are doing would be felt in the entire maritime sector. Let me assure you that this management is committed to doing whatever will drive the Nigerian maritime sector to an enviable height.”

 Executives of the consultative forum were enjoined to maintain a cordial relationship with staff and management.

With the forum, all matters or grievances relating to the members of staff are to be presented to the management in a civil manner as guided by extant laws and the guiding policy.

In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the forum, Mr. Abdullahi Yelwa, thanked the DG and the Executive Management team of the Agency for the internal communication initiative. Yelwa said the forum would strengthen the trust the staff had built with the Jamoh Management.

The NIMASA Joint Consultative Forum has Mrs. Shielibe Abe as Vice Chairman. The forum has representatives from all cadres of the agency.