From a casual follower of the activities of the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet), I have grown into someone keenly following the activities of this crucial establishment, from the days of its Director-General, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, to that of the present one, Prof. Mansur Matazu. While Nigeria is yet to fully harness the potentials of the agency, it seems like there are more mentions of it on online publications than ever. I honestly couldn’t have ever imagined that this once-blossoming agency could nosedive into a hot pot of all kinds of allegations of twisty shenanigans.
The allegations on various online publications include one that supposedly happened on 17th August, 2021, between two personnel of the agency, suggesting a violation of the code of conduct of civil service. This is including other ‘reports’ which I don’t have space to list, which I think I need to bring to the notice of the honourable Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, whose ministry supervises the agency. It is a good time to take a closer look at what’s going on in NiMet. I will be the first to celebrate if all the allegations are proven to be just allegations.
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Reports, also, of infighting and even power tussles are not heartening at all, especially at a time like this when all sectors and their subsidiaries need to be well-keyed into policies and attitudes that will take our dear nation to the next level. Other aspects of the reports also cite a number of unusual things like a Director-General having a Senior Special Assistant (SSA), something that was previously unheard of. Innovations, while good, achieve nothing if implemented solely for innovation’s sake. Shouldn’t the priority be on personnel who are needed, and those who are functional? Honestly, SSAs seem to me to be appointments meant to support elected officials.
The same online reports I mentioned earlier also claim a good number of allegations which I can’t even bring myself to repeat here. Some actually sound like conspiracy theories, but some checked out neatly when I placed a few calls to insiders who are familiar with that environment. But as they say in a Hausa adage, ‘water doesn’t turn sour for no reason’. And it looks like the water has turned sour here. What needs to be done is clear: The honourable minister Sirika needs to wade in, and fast. The agency that provides such a crucial service to Nigerians should not be left with clouds hanging over its head, pun unintended.
Durojaye Emmanuel wrote in from Garki, Abuja.
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