NIMASA: Dakuku Peterside Repositioned NIMASA To A Global Brand; Deserves Reappointment…..Says Eze
“Peterside’s unanimous election is not only a personal honour and affirmation of confidence in his ability to lead AAMA, but also places Nigeria in a pivotal position to rally other maritime administrations in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) towards safer global maritime activities"... President Muhammadu Buhari.
.....
Recalls how in 2015, Dakuku was almost assassinated campaigning for the
election of President Buhari.
Supporting
President Buhari in his assertion about the ability of Dr. Dakuku Peterside,
Donald Trump, the number one President of the world state; "I judge people
based on their capability, honesty, and merit".
If
merit and capability is to be used as a criteria for appointment as asserted by
President Trump, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani the Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Marine Transport postulated, “what NIMASA is doing under the leadership of
Dr. Peterside, is commendable. And, as a Committee, we will give NIMASA the
necessary legislative backing in terms of amendments to the existing laws and
enhanced appropriation that is necessary for the Agency to effectively carry
out its regulatory activities”.
While
to Emeritus Professor Dagogo Fubara, the first Professor of Geodesy in Africa,
"Your ingenious leadership in the Agency which will galvanize the maritime
industry to greatness is very commendable. I do not know what you are doing in
NIMASA but whatever you are doing is very commendable. Apart from the fact that
you have assembled first grade scholars to talk today, this is the first time
in my 78 years sojourn on earth that I have chaired an event and four hours
after, the hall is still filled to capacity”.
Representative
of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
who doled the accolades on Dr. Dakuku Peterside, also described him as “a
value-added” to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that
the NIMASA, under his watch, has recorded laudable achievements that are
countless, to the credit of the administration.
Chief
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has become respected as one of the most fervent defenders
of the policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari
administration in the South-South region.
In
a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Eze reveals positive
assessment of Dakuku’s performance by the Kaduna state governor, Mallam Ahmad Nasir
El-Rufai, as “a vibrant young man who has brought a lot of reforms to the
maritime industry” as spot on.
Eze
noted that, “Peterside is a celebrated icon, an enigma, a study in
resoluteness, benevolence, audacity, resourcefulness, creativity, a symbol of
unity, a visionary, egalitarian and, most importantly, a great patriot whose
love for Nigeria and Nigerians is infectious”.
“As
a bridge-builder and loyal to friendship, he is an emerging force in the
Maritime Industry in the entire world who became the first Nigerian to be
elected by 34 countries as the President, Association of African Maritime
Administrations (AAMA)”.
“For
turning around the fortunes of the Nigeria’s maritime sector, to increase its
contribution to the economy, Dr Dakuku has justified his appointment as
Director-General of NIMASA and one of the most skillful and opportune decisions
by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in its drive to revolutionize
the maritime industry”.
“Since
Dakuku’s appointment as Director-General of NIMASA in March 2016, a lot of
reforms have been initiated, including the new Cabotage Compliance Strategy,
which has created more employment for Nigerians in the maritime sector and
significantly, grown the maritime sector’s contribution to both the Federation
Account and the Gross Domestic Production (GDP)”.
“Under
the watch of this reformer and revolutionist, Dr. Peterside, NIMASA, with its
record-breaking income generation into Nigeria’s coffers, received presidential
commendation and dusted other similar agencies to top the chart on Port and
Flag State Control in the West and Central African sub-regions. The maritime
regulatory agency outranked other maritime regulators in the region, in the
inspection of vessels calling at Nigerian ports, according to the latest report
by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control for West
and Central African Region, otherwise known as Abuja MoU”.
All
these were part of the fruits of recent reforms initiated by the agency and
deliberate investment in enforcement equipment. The fact remains that the
management team of NIMASA is conscious of global best practices and is
determined to rid our waterways of all substandard vessels, with the ultimate
aim of ensuring a safe and robust maritime domain.
This
afforded the agency the capacity to be a competitive player in the global
maritime space, giving her an edge in the comity of maritime investment
destinations.
Eze
commended Dr. Peterside and his team for following the international
requirement for countries by inspecting and surveying over 600 vessels
calling at Nigerian ports, describing the fear as “an unprecedented feat,
showing the country is alive to its port state and flag state responsibilities.
The increased inspection and survey has ensured that substandard vessels no
longer call at Nigerian ports. It has improved safety on Nigerian waters and
led to a reduction of vessels with deficiency from 18.99 % in 2015 to barely 14
% in 2018.
“NIMASA
has, since the last three years, engaged in deliberate efforts to protect the
country’s maritime assets and environment by building up response capabilities
under the Deep Blue Sea project. The Agency has acquired special mission
aircraft, special mission telecommunications gadgets, and 17 interceptor
special mission vessels. It has also, in conjunction with the country’s
security services, set up a Command and Control Centre, with a complement of
armoured vehicles to patrol littoral states, and a standing k force to deal
with criminal activities at sea”, Eze revealed.
Apart
from all these feats, by this enigma of a leader, who would have lost his
life while campaigning for his election and that of President Muhammad Buhari
in 2015 at Okirika in Rivers state when his Campaign Team was attacked by unidentified
persons who never wanted Buhari to emerge the Nigerian President.
Now
that his tenure is coming to an end in few days time, based on his sacrifices
to the progress of APC all over Nigeria and the ingenuity which he has brought
to making NIMASA a global brand and if the words of President Trump is relevant
that merit should count in our appointments then reappointing Dr Dakuku
Peterside becomes not only imperative, but immediate.
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