Transport Sector: Dearth Of Professional CEOs

Professionalism is not sportsmanship. If you don’t succeed, you won’t be in your profession for long. In our society, it’s not about good or bad. It’s about who’s on top. Chili Davis

Over the years, the perception of public office has become an opportunity for self-enrichment or political settlements for the ruling party. A leader is seen as one who has been invited to “come and chop” and to claim his or her portion of the national cake.

It is unlikely that there would have been this much controversy if government positions were truly perceived in terms of responsibility and service rather than power, privilege and prestige.

The recent appointment of Chief Executive Officers into the agencies in the Transport sector has done nothing to negate this erroneous position. The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and most recently the new Managing Director of the National Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA) Boss Gida Mustapha.

However, professionalism is one of the key components for leaders in any industry. Professionalism raises the level of efficiency because people who aren’t professionals may tend to serve their own interest rather than that of the nation.

This conversation about the role of professionals in government must lead us to confront the prevailing and competing conceptions of governance as well as to examine what we understand to be professionals in government.

Our society typically considers professionals in government in comparison to politicians in government. We entertain a false dichotomy between professionals who are credited with expertise in public policy and the mechanics of governance on one hand, and on the other hand politicians who are often perceived as merely trawling through public life for position and power.

While a problem-solving ethic is attributed to professionals, politicians are seen as opportunistic and self-serving. The devaluation of public service and politics owes something to this perception.

The appointment of CEOs in the Transport sector has been subject to politicking as epitomized by Rotimi Amaechi’s appointment as transport minister which had divided opinion among many industry stakeholders as some argued rightly that Amaechi wasn’t a Transport expert. This is a fact the Minister has also pointed out himself.

The appointment of Dr. Dakuku Peterside at the DG NIMASA also comes to the fore as it came as a surprise to many maritime stakeholders who had thought that the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government of Nigeria was determined to change the fortunes of the industry through the appointment of technocrats to head maritime agencies.

A former director general of NIMASA had stated that Dakuku’s appointment was a breach of NIMASA Act of 2007 as he has no expertise in the industry. While others simply see Dakuku’s appointment as Amaechi bringing his own candidate to head NIMASA.

Similarly, the appointment of Boss Gida Mustapha as the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA) leaves several question marks as Mustapha is a lawyer without any experience in Transportation. Nevertheless, he was the Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that formed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and it qualifies him for the job.

How long would we continue to force square pegs into round holes? It is time to look eschew political sentiments and nepotism to put the right people in these critical institutions. These positions should not be subject to the gimmicks of politicians because these parastatals drive the policy directions of the government in the maritime sector. Let’s get professionals to drive them.