An Ex-militant leader in the Niger Delta, Mr. Ebi John, on Monday applauded the Nigerian Armed Forces for producing the likes of the new Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (Rtd).

John described Ndiomu as an astute administrator with organizational skills, who is selfless, intelligent and a deadline-driven leader.

Speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, John said Ndiomu’s tone and body language at his maiden meeting with ex-agitators speaks volumes of his good intentions for the programme.

The ex-agitator explained that a good administrator was one who could balance multiple tasks simultaneously and delegate when appropriate.

He said such rare leadership qualities which were critical in the military, were equally highly valued in the corporate world, such that some Fortune 500 companies now seek for retiring vibrant military officers like Ndiomu to be recruited into their management, elsewhere abroad.

He maintained that planning and the ability to think strategically were useful skills that elevate stand out administrators in their career, stressing that Ndiomu was one of such refined and enthusiastic professional personalities that the Nigerian military has produced in recent times, just as he called on all stakeholders in the region to cooperate with him to achieve set goals in the programme.

John maintained that it was difficult to find any military role that does not confer some advantages on the civilian workplace, saying that even those persons who seem not to like the military, still admire them for their professionalism, discipline and being able to imbibe team spirit, which according to him, were traits every serious-minded civilian organisation would recognize as very useful.

The ex-agitator also noted that the military leadership experiences acquired through years of rigorous trainings were attributes that could seemingly be placed above others, and that such administrative competences were the ones that could really pay off for a civilian organization led by a vibrant retired senior military officer like Ndiomu.

He stated that, in the military, money may not be the real incentive in galvanising troops activities, as the men may not even survive to spend such funds because of the probability of losing one's life in the line of duty, adding that losing a fancy job title or rank may be of much concern to someone facing the prospect of injury or even death.

John observed that, from the content of the maiden address of Ndiomu to both the management and staff on assumption of duties as coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme speaks volumes of his military discipline and deep understanding of human relations and personnel management.

He noted that Ndiomu's rich military background, coupled with his avowed commitment to the new assignment, played out from his maiden meeting with management staff, stressing that the new helmsman of PAP has clearly demonstrated his good intentions for the programme, just as he was bent on service delivery.

The ex-agitator maintained that managers with military leadership experience could always bring their inspirational leadership style to bear on any organization that was willing to invest in them, saying that many businesses were good at planning, but no one does it quite like the veteran retired military officers.

“That is because some of the situations they (military officers) have to deal with, like combat operations and grand-scale logistics, would require far more than a general procedure on how to get from point A to B. Military leaders establish backup plans and perform mission rehearsal exercises to prepare for every foreseeable outcome of a given challenge.

“Leaders who learn their skills in the military can help corporate organizations to improve on how they handle professional development because they understand the benefits of evaluating subordinates and creating a plan to continually improve their performance.

“There is no doubt that Ndiomu, being a square peg in a square hole, and judging from his successful career and military background, will certainly bring his enormous leadership perspectives and managerial skills to the table, with a view to positively transforming the Presidential Amnesty Programme into a real human capital development agency to change the narrative for the good of all and sundry in the Niger Delta region,” John said.

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