The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, has described Blueprint Newspapers as a credible media organisation and one of the most respected platforms in the country.
Woke stated this when he received some members of the management team of the company led by the Vice Chairman/Chairman Editorial Board, Blueprint Newspapers Ltd, Hajiya Zainab Suleiman Okino, to present to the DG the nomination letter as ‘Blueprint Public Service Excellence of the Year’ at NOSDRA’s office in Abuja.
“I am actually short of words. I didn’t know that the little effort we are making is being noticed by members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm. I know your organisation is one of the most respected media outfits out in the country and I know your decision isn’t one to be taken for granted,” the DG said.
He expressed his readiness to attend the forthcoming awards event in July this year saying, “I feel very humble and I accept this offer with all my heart. I will inform my management and staff and by the special grace of God, we will be physically present.”
Answering questions on the challenges facing NOSDRA, he said the law establishing the agency did not give it power of enforcement. “We have several challenges, but the basic one is the legal framework establishing the agency.
“When they say your name is National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency, a lot of people misconstrue you to be an oil company or people that are dealing with dollars,” he stated.
He, however, explained that, “The law establishing the agency as a regulatory agency didn’t really allow the agency to carry out enforcement and you know in Nigeria, compliance is an issue. You see agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), when you visit a place and you see things are not normal, NAFDAC will immediately seal the place.”
The NOSDRA boss therefore said he would approach the National Assembly (NASS) and urge them to review the Act that established the agency with a view to empowering it to carry out enforcement where necessary.
Speaking earlier, Hajiya Okino lauded the DG for his excellent performance since he assumed office saying, “You came highly recommended for an award for Public Service Excellence. I now understand why you were so highly recommended. It is so evident that there is excellence in you,” she said.
The Vice Chairman/Chairman Editorial Board also lauded Woke for his humility: “Your humility and modesty just showed that we took the right decision in your choice,” she said.