Mamora’s exit triggers succession battle in NIWA

Abiola Seun

The exit of Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora as the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has created a vacuum which triggered a succession battle among the top hierarchy of the agency.

NIWA is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Transport. Its day-to-day operations are driven by a Managing Director/CEO who is assisted by 14 General Managers.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed the immediate past NIWA MD, Sen. Olorunibe Mamora a minister in the just constituted cabinet.

The appointment of Mamora however created a vacuum to be filled by the federal government.

But, investigations over the weekend showed that since the MD left, no one has been mandated to act out of the senior officials in the agency.

According to the source, a former acting MD and the General Manager, Legal, Ibrahim Umar is not the most senior of the 14 General Managers in the agency.

The source who craved for anonymity said since he isn’t the most senior, he can’t assume position of the acting MD.

He however said that the authority is waiting for directive from the ministry of transportation for anyone who will act pending the appointment of a substantive MD.

The source however said that the authority had been on auto pilot and activities on standstill since the former MD left last week.

He however urged the federal ministry of transportation to save the authority by appointing a acting MD pending when a substantive managing director would be announced.

When contacted, the general manager, Corporate Affairs of NIWA, Tayo Fadile said the authority is expecting a letter from the ministry of transportation on which of the general managers to act.
He said, “the last time, a letter came from the ministry mandating Barr. Ibrahim Danladi to act, we are still expecting the letter to know who will act since our MD has left for a greater Service to the nation,” he said.