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THE Federal Government through the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar last month inaugurated the boards of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) where Chief Tony Anenih and Lt Col Agbu Kefas were appointed to chair the boards of NPA and NIMASA respectively.
In this interview with SWEETCRUDE, Lt Col Agbu Kefas told Godwin Oritse that he was ready to assist NIMASA to achieve its objectives in the area of maritime security and safety.
Excerpts
Congratulations on your appointment
Thank you very much
What is your vision for NIMASA
Already, the management has a vision , we will not change the vision because it is a positive one. What we will do is to support the current management in whatever way we can to ensure that the purpose for which the agency was set is achieved.
So what we are going to do as board or team is to give them all the necessary support to re-energize them and encourage them to achieve that goal.
There is this talk in the military circle that you were dismissed from the Nigerian Army because of your involvement with some militants in the Niger Delta area and after a lot of pressure your dismissal was converted to retirement, how would you react to this?
Which quarter of the military? The records are there to show, I retired meritoriously and it was voluntary and if you look around you can see a lot of military officers both serving and retired.They came in recognition of the appointment and to celebrate with me.
So, if I was dismissed, nobody will be here so you do not need any rumor and the records are there and they are very straight. And you can see, do I look like some body that was dismissed? Most of the Senators you see here, came because of me, that is because I am a true Nigerian and it cuts across the entire country.
There is also this anxiety in the Military because they cannot understand why and how a Lt Col will be presiding over meetings where Generals and Rear Admirals are seated. What is your take on this?
My brother, during the military era, who were the military administrators I mean the Governors, what were their ranks ? I am a very senior officer in the military because from the rank of a major, you are a senior officer. If the President did not deem it fit to appoint me, it means I was never qualified in the first place.
Even you as a young man, are you not happy for me that a young man like yourself is getting appointed to this kind of office ? To see a young man like you being appointed to head the board of NIMASA means that there is hope for this country.
Let’s be positive and work together to make this country great, let us not work on rumor.
Between the time you were appointed and now, you must have taken some notes, more so that you have watched NIMASA from afar , what would you want to quickly address ?
First and foremost, when you get to a place, there must be attitudinal change, you have to create awareness, make people to be positive minded in their jobs, you have to make sure that they are committed. What we intend to do is to bring everybody together and drive the agency together, it is a team work. When we start working as team, we can now begin to address issues together.
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