By Leke Adeseri
LAGOS — The appointments of key officers in some of the River Basins Development Agencies, RBDAs, are being trailed by controversy as it is becoming clear that political influence was given priority over the usual basic consideration of seniority and geographical spread in the promotion of career civil servants.

Managing Directors and Executive Directors appointed for the 12 River Basins in the country were inaugurated earlier this month on the second day of the Presidential Water Summit, at Aso Rock Villa.

In line with the restructuring of the River Basins, the positions of Managing Directors and Executive Directors are no longer political. Appointments are made from career civil servants from within the system based purely on seniority and geographical spread.
Areas where disaffection is brewing include  Cross River Basin Development Authority, where a lawyer was appointed the Managing Director over and above an engineer who in any case is the present MD’s senior.

Also at Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, another engineer, who has acted as Executive Director, Operations, was sidelined for someone from outside the system.

In Anambra-Imo River Basin Authority, the most senior engineer after the Managing Director was put aside to pick his juniors as Executive Directors.

Specifically, the slot for Abia State, where the said officer is from, was given to his junior who also hails from the same Senatorial zone with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Authority, thereby defying both seniority and geographical spread.

A staff of the Authority, who pleaded to remain anonymous, claimed that documents sent to the Ministry were purposely falsified to mislead the Ministry in their consideration of the officers for appointment.

These anomalies have caused tension and uneasiness among staff of the affected River Basins.
Some senior civil servants showed grave concern on the implication and effect of these anomalies on the moral and performance of serving officers of the affected River Basins.

They, however, were optimistic and hoped that corrections will be made in order not to set a bad precedence and kill the zeal and belief of younger officers on the system.

The RBDAs were set up in 1976 to undertake a comprehensive development of ground water resources for multipurpose use across the country.

In addition to this, they were charged with the responsibility of building and maintaining dams, dykes, wells or boreholes, irrigation and drainage systems as well as providing water for urban and rural water supply schemes.

Some of the newly appointed MDs for the 12 RBDAs are : Prof. Paul Marrey (Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority); Mr. Jimmy Omoliki (Ogun_Oshun River Basin Development Authority); and Mr. Greg Ugwueze, (Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority).