NIWA: No rift over appointment of Adetola as acting MD

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) says there is no rift within its management structure over the appointment of Olawale Adetola as acting managing director of the agency.

Adetola was made acting managing director after the tenure of George Moghalu elapsed on September 29.

In a statement on Monday, Jibril Darda’u, acting general manager of corporate affairs, said the management team had no disagreements over who should head NIWA.

He said Moghalu’s achievements are known to Nigerians, adding that he handed over to Adetola during the day and at the exact time his tenure ended and not at night as alleged by a group.

“The pressure group’s discrediting assertion on the four-year administration of Chief George Moghalu is not true, as it’s an act of sponsored blackmail, considering his landmark achievements during his tenure. This is verifiable to the general public,” NAN quoted Darda’u as saying.

“It is a known fact that Chief George Moghalu, being a seasoned politician is also a technocrat, but that did not hinder his official performance in NIWA.

“Rather he infused his experience, culture and innovation of the private sector for the success recorded in NIWA so far.

“The fact is that Chief George Moghalu, being a law-abiding citizen, handed over the leadership of NIWA to the most senior general manager on the exact date his tenure ended during working hours and not in the night as purported.

“We will continue to reiterate that Chief George Moghalu tried his best in uplifting and developing the inland waterways sector. He left NIWA better than he met it.”

Adetola is a surveyor and registered member of small, urban, and rural centre on mobility. He joined NIWA in 1992 and was made general manager of the authority in 2018.