The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, has approved the promotion of a total of 311 members of staff, out of which eight were promoted to full directors from their former positions of deputy directors of a total of 76 management staff promoted by the agency.

This is sequel to the approval of the Governing Board of the agency, which approved the promotion of the 76 management staff, who were deputy and assistant directors during its 34th meeting, which took place in Lagos between December 20- 21, 2016 under the chairmanship of General Jonathan India Garba (rtd).

Meanwhile, the Executive Management of the agency has also approved the promotion of a total number of 222 non-management staff between grade levels 4-14, bringing to a total of 290 members of staff of the agency consisting of top, medium and lower cadres to be promoted.

The NIMASA Act 2007 provides that the governing board must approve the promotion members of staff of grade levels 14 and above, which starts from the position of assistant directors, while the executive management has the powers to promote officers from grade levels four to 13.

Details of the promotion exercise show that Hajia Lami Tumaka, Head of Corporate Communications of the agency was among the eight Deputy Directors promoted to the level of full directors, even as 15 other Assistant Directors were promoted to Deputy Directors while 56 grade level 14 officers were promoted to their next grade of Assistant Directors.

Others promoted to full directors include head of Procurement Department, Mr. Sani Mohammed, Head of Financial Services Department, Mr. Olayemi Abbas and his counterpart at the Cabotage Services Department, Mr. Hassan el-Yakub.

Others are the Coordinator of Western Zonal Operations, Hajia Aisha Jummai Musa, Head of Marine Environment Management Department, Mrs. Susan Asagwara, head of Shipping Development Department, Mr. Akin Akinyosoye and his counterpart at the Legal Services Department, Mr. Suleman Abdulsalam.

It was however gathered that the promotion exercise went through a rigorous process, which necessitated the hiring of independent consultants to carry out the exercise.

Chairman of the Governing Board, General Garba has however enjoined the newly promoted staff to dedicate themselves to duty to reciprocate the agency’s good gesture towards then.

He said that their elevation would no doubt come with more responsibilities.

The chairman assured that henceforth promotion exercises in the agency will be conducted as at when due and devoid of delays.

Investigations however showed that while some members of staff have been on one position in the last 10 years, the just concluded exercise had been on in the last two years.

It was further gathered that the inability of the Federal Government to reconstitute the governing boards of government agencies and parastatals including that of NIMASA delayed the exercise further, as the board was needed to give its nod to the promotion of the management staff of the agency.