Abuja, Oct. 9, 2023 – The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has denied reports of a rift within its management over the appointment of an Acting Managing Director, Surveyor Olawale Adetola.
The authority commended the immediate past Managing Director, Chief George Moghalu, for handing over to Adetola, who is most senior General Manager, in line with the extant rules.
A group, Maritime Pressure Group, had recently berated the performance of Moghalu whose four years tenure ended on Sept. 29, 2023 for handing over to Adetola in acting capacity.
Jibril Darda’u, the Head of Corporate Affairs in NIWA, said in a statement on Monday that there was no rift among the current leadership in NIWA over who should head the Authority pending the appointment of a substantive managing director.
Darda’u said the condemnation of the four-year administration of Moghalu by the group was baseless and a sponsored blackmail.
“It is a known fact that Chief George Moghalu, being a seasoned politician and a technocrat, did not allow sentiments to hinder his official performance in NIWA, rather his experience in the private sector led to his success in NIWA.
“Chief George Moghalu, being a law-abiding citizen, handed over the leadership of NIWA to the most senior general manager on the exact date his tenure ended and during the working hours, not at night as alleged.
“We will continue to say it that Chief George Moghalu did his best in uplifting and developing the Inland waterways sector.
“He left NIWA better than he met it,” he said.
Olawale James Adetola, the acting Managing Director, a surveyor, holds a Master’s degree. He joined NIWA in 1992 and was promoted to the post of a General Manager in 2018.
He was the pioneer General Manager, Business Development and later Head of Procurement Department, amongst other positions in the Authority.
Next to him in hierarchy is Fibersima Tamunokubie, GM, Area Offices Coordination, who joined NIWA in 2004 and became a General Manager in 2018.
Other General Managers are Engineer Fidelis Aghahi, (GM Port Services), who was promoted to the post of General Manager in 2019, while Mallam Girei Yusuf, General Manager (Finance), joined NIWA in 2004.
Others are Acting General Manager (Legal), Nasiru Bayankare; Acting General Manager (Marine), Dakio Horsfal; Acting General Manager (Internal Audit), Japhet Maisaje; Acting General Manager (Engineering), Fidelis Ejike; and Acting General Manager (Human Resources), Mallam Abdullahi Dabai.
Others are Acting General Manager, Research, Planning and Environment, Mallam Muazu Dan Azumi; Acting General Manager, Procurement, Mallam Ibrahim Isyaku Sade; Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Jibril Darda’u and Acting General Manager, Survey, Henry Adimoha.
Some members of staff, who spoke on condition anonymity, agreed that the atmosphere in NIWA had been healthy since Adetola took over the affairs of NIWA as the Acting Managing Director on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
“How can anybody say that the Acting Managing Director is a junior general manager and also a placeholder for the former MD.
“Mr Adetola is the most senior among the General Managers in NIWA currently.
“According to NIWA nominal roll, Mr Adetola joined the Authority in 1992 and became GM in 2018.
“He has spent over 30 years in NIWA, and by all standards, he is the most qualified for the position of the Acting Managing Director.
“The former MD, Chief George Moghalu, who handed over to Mr Adetola, spent four years in NIWA and knows the most senior among the general managers. People are just creating problems where there are none.”
“The staff are going about their normal activities without complain since the Acting MD mounted the saddle of leadership in NIWA.
“I’m not aware of any complain or tension in NIWA over the appointment of the Acting Managing Director.”
They called on the federal government, especially the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola, to ignore complaints by some faceless workers. (GBN)
