…Says Position Of DG Not Vacant
Uneasy calm is now pervading the offices of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency(NOSDRA) in Abuja and other parts of the country, following the announcement by the Federal Government that Mr Idris Musa has been replaced as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, with former Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties and former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Engr Chukwuemeka Woke.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, recently announced that Engr Chukwuemeka Woke had been appointed as the new Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NOSDRA, following protests that trailed his earlier appointment by the Federal Government to head the Ogun-Osun Water Basin Authority.
Since the announcement was made, feelers indicate that it has not gone down well with majority of workers of the agency across the country and other insiders of the agency.
NOSDRA workers to be sad, over the development, and have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescind the decision since the position of Director General in the agency is not vacant, with Musa who they described as a square peg in a square hole, and a core professional to the core is firmly in the saddle, having served only one year of his second tenure of four years.
According to them, President Tinubu was misled to have thought that the position of Director General in the agency was vacant, for which reason, he had gone ahead to appoint Engr Chukwuemeka Woke as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the agency.
They said Musa has three years running to complete his tenure, and expressed delight that he has been repositioning the agency since his appointment in 2019.
The workers and insiders said the NOSDRA helmsman has been piloting the affairs of the agency without blemish and has also been giving the welfare of the workforce top priority, even in the face of debilitating challenges and paucity of funds, stressing that the Director General is not only very sincere but a man of integrity.
Musa, they noted, has also been working hard to reposition the agency and make it result-oriented, contending that it would be unfair and unjust to replace him,when he has not committed any infraction to warrant that, and called on President Tinubu to rescind the decision and allow the Director General to fully serve and complete his four-year tenure.
It would be recalled that Musa was reappointed as the Director General of NOSDRA by former President Muhammadu Buhari in the twilight of his administration last year, for a four-year tenure, barely a year ago, following his excellent track record of performance and achievements.
Both the workers and other insiders of the agency see the Director General as a father figure, and described him as a workaholic and astute administrator, who knows what he is really doing at the agency based on his rich resume’ and wealth of experience.
Musa, a Muslim who hails from Kogi State holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan and two Master’s Degrees in Business Administration and Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Ibadan and University of Illorin, respectively. He also has several professional certifications and memberships, both locally and internationally.
Known for his vibrant and energetic personality, Musa was appointed the Head of Operations of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Port Harcourt in 2017, a position he held until his appointment as Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NOSDRA in 2019.
He equally has extensive experience in oil spill management and has served on various high-powered committees, including the committee that worked on the preparation of the documents leading to the establishment of NOSDRA. He has also participated in various international trainings, seminars and workshops. The Director General represented Nigeria on the 10-man Board of Pollution Crime Working Group of the International Police(INTERPOL), and has received multiple awards in recognition of his services, including the Bureau of Public Service Reforms Distinguished Goztech Trailblazer Award and the Nigerian Environmental Society Honorary Fellow (FNES) HON, which he bagged in October, 2023.
