- Inaugurates 11 governing board members
By Dwelleth Morountodun
President Muhammadu Buhari, over the weekend expressed confidence in the leadership qualities of the Director General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Mohammed Dan’Azumi Ibrahim, in meeting the agency’s mandate and service delivery to the nation.
He made the disclosure at the inauguration of the 11 board members drawn from 9 different Ministries with the Permanent Secretary and a Director from the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation as Chairperson and a Director as member.
The others are from Power, Works/Housing, Interior, NUC, Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Trade and Investment, Justice and the DG of NOTAP.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Science Technology and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, spoke against the background of lingering crises of supremacy between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Governing Board members and their management under DGs/CEOs.
However, he noted that this is not the case with NOTAP’s management, which is led by Dr. Ibrahim and his board members, adding: “I’m happy to say that this is not the situation with NOTAP.
“As board members, please do your best and let there be cooperation between the board and management. Because a situation where two elephants fight, it is the ground that suffers. We should always take it that we are working for the good of Nigeria, our country.”
President Buhari, admonished the board not to play the role of the management, adding that the board should not be driven as an establishment on daily basis especially when it is not an executive one.
The President, said: “And that is why we have a DG and his management team. At the same the DG and his management should not attempt to do the job of the board.
“I have seen in a number of cases particularly in my former position as Minister in the Ministry of Health, a lot of times what you see is cat and mouse game between the board and management and if I may narrow it between the Chairman of the board and the CEO of the agency.
“The board and management are supposed to work together under the 5 principles of: cooperation, collaboration, communication coordination and cordiality that I have mentioned and for me and the Ministry, it is not our intention to interfere as much as possible with how the agency is run.
“The DG of the agency is the middle man between the board and the ministry and we must have respect for hierarchy.
“The board reports to the Ministry and the question that I always ask is that if there is a crisis in an agency and Mr. President is interested who will the president call, it is the Ministry and the let me specific the Minister, not the board.
“There are a number of things that we inherited, we cannot inherit what you call the good things and pretend not to also want to inherit the bad things which are the assets and liabilities in terms of crises with some of our agencies often times between the board and the management.”
While urging the 11 board members to produce results, he added that they can still make a difference: “You can still make a lot of difference, you can and one thing I always say is that it is a privilege to be appointed to position of service.
“Because, this is one thing that I remind myself on a daily basis that it’s a privilege to serve in a country of over 200 million. It is grace and privilege to be appointed to render a national service.
“What I tell myself is what I’m also telling you and those who are in the Ministry will bear me witness.
“Nobody expects magic from you because you are not magicians but what is expected haven being so appointed try and make a difference a create positive impact in your sphere of influence.
“My colleague mentioned legacy and that is the question to interrogate at every point in time. How will I be remembered when I’m no longer here.”
According to him, there are people when they leave office, the swan-song is good riddance to bad rubbish, but there are people after rendering service for a period when they leave people almost shed tears…oh we are missing this person, not on account of death but on account of separation which is physical, he added.
“My prayer is that, that will be the kind of testimony about you when you leave because none of us shall be here forever, we are only here for a while.
“To be in position for me, I don’t need anyone to remind that it is transient. It is just for a while, try and make a difference in terms of your diligence, what you do and commitments.
“Of course, none of us will be able to do what we want to do alone and that is why when I came to the Ministry, I told my colleague, the Directors, the Ministry’s senior staff and Head of Agencies of the principles of the 5 Cs, cooperation, collaboration, communication coordination and cordiality.
“If we work having these have 5 Cs, in mind we will make the difference don’t let us have the attitude of me and me alone rather it should be we and we.
“We are only privileged that we are in position that we are occupying now, it is by grace and in my own faith we say it is not by power nor by might. So, please do your best to make a difference while you last.
The composition of the board, according to President Buhari, include: The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, who is Chairman of the board, the Director, TAA in the Ministry, Representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Justice, Power, Works and Housing, Finance, Budget and National Planning, (NUC and Polytechnics and Colleges of Technologies were not Represented), Industry, Trade and Investment and the DG/CEO of NOTAP.
“Well, of course what we do here as Ministers, we are representatives of Mr. President. So, whatever, I’m telling you take it that it is coming from President Buhari because we are emissaries to Mr. President.
“On that note on behalf of President Buhari, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, I hereby declare the governing board of NOTAP inaugurated.”