NEW DAWN, AS NIMASA REPOSITIONED FOR GREATER IMAGE MANAGEMENT

BY Innocent Orok

Nigeria’s maritime industry regulatory body, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was few weeks ago in the news as a change of baton in its management cadre was effected by the Federal Government.

The unexpected power shift saw a total injection of fresh hands, from the Chairman of Board, members, Executive Directors and the Director General. Before their appointments, speculations were all over the place on the shape the new leadership structure of the agency will take, having being know for power tussles when it comes to appointment of its Director General.

Surprisingly, and for the first time since its establishment in 2007,an insider of over fifteen years experience was appointed as the new DG of the agency. Dr Bashir Yusuf Jamoh clinched the position unchallenged.

To hit the ground running, Jamoh has within the last two weeks effected deployments of key personnel among them is the rejiging of the Corporate Communications Unit of the agency. Surprisingly again, power has shifted hands from Isichei Osamgbi to Philip Kyanet, popularly called ‘Chief’. Osamgbi has held sway in the Unit for closed to a decade.

The new Imagemaker in NIMASA today is not a strange personality to neither the agency nor the Public Relations unit of the Agency. Philip Kyanet has been in the department for closed to a decade serving diligently, respectfully and supportively. He has worked as second in Command under the reign of the phenomenonal Hajia Lami Tumaka as the head of the NIMASA PR Unit. He also served in the same position during the tenure of Isichei Osamgbi without query or insubordination.

Always calm, soft spoken, inquisitive friendly and willing to help at all times. Mr Philip Kyanet appointment as the Agency’s spokesman and Head of Corporate Communication has come at a time the agency and maritime stakeholders are clamouring for a paradigm shift of the agency from political motivated policies and programmes to its core functions of proper regulations of the industry.

The new changes and deployments is part of the ongoing restructuring of the Agency by the newly appointed Executive Management led by Dr. Bashir Jamoh.

Mr. Kyanet who is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration Nigeria (CIoTA) comes on board with over 15 years work experience in NIMASA, out of which nine have been in the Public Relations Unit.

A graduate of History from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Mr. Kyanet also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) Badagry, Lagos. He has attended many professional courses locally and Internationally.

His working career which spans over two decades saw him at various times at the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals as the Personal Assistant to the Hon. Minister, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the Head, Abuja Liaison Office, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and the defunct Joint Maritime Labour Industrial Council (JOMALIC) before its merger with National Maritime Authority (NMA) to form NIMASA in August 2006. Until this appointment, Mr. Kyanet was an Assistant Director in the Corporate Communications Unit of NIMASA.

Mr. Kyanet replaces Mr. Isichei Osamgbi who has been deployed to the Special Duties (External Relations and Technical Cooperation) Unit in the Office of the Director General.

Again the Maritime Media and other stakeholders have all applauded the new Imagemaker of NIMASA, just as they all welcomed the appointment of the new DG, Dr Bashir Jamoh.

Certainly, better times are expected at NIMASA, both at the Management level and the image making level, more than ever before. Bon Voyage our new Sheriff at NIMASA’s PR. Unit.