…As Dakuku calls for more support
From left: Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, CON, Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye and Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside at the event held in Warri, Delta State.
The Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has assured stakeholders in the maritime sector that the Federal Government will leave no stone unturned in actualising its goal for a safer and more secured maritime domain in the Nigeria maritime space.
The Minister who said this during a one-day stakeholders’ interactive forum held in Warri, Delta State with the theme; ‘Implementation of Executive Order One (1) – Ease of Doing Business in a secure maritime environment’, noted that one of the factors militating against the success of the maritime sector is insecurity in the Niger Delta region, which he said is also hampering the growth and development of the region.
Amaechi also used the opportunity to charge the Stakeholders to collaborate with the government in order to actualise its policies and frustrate efforts by saboteurs who are bent on distorting government’s efforts of realising a robust and crime free maritime domain.
From left:The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms. Hadiza Bala UsmanCommander, Nigerian Navy Ship, Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu andDirector General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside
“We must resist the efforts of some unscrupulous individuals trying to frustrate government’s efforts in ensuring safety and security of our maritime domain, because private interest should not and cannot supersede national interest. On our part at government, we will do all we can to ensure we secure the Nigerian waterways”, Amaechi said
Speaking further, the Minister also commended the efforts of the Agencies under the watch of the Ministry of Transportation for their astuteness in ensuring that the sector gets the desired attention and challenged them not to rest on their oars in ensuring that the Federal Government’s policy on ease of doing business is realised.
From left: Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye at the event held in Warri, Delta State.
In the same vein, the Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside who delivered a goodwill message called on the industry players to continue to support government policies.
The DG who described the maritime industry as a multi-stakeholder industry that plays an important role in the growth of the nation, noted that without the sector, “we cannot fund the budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
“In our industry, all of us are equally important and have our different roles; but it is only when we work synergistically that we can accomplish great results. For us in NIMASA, we have our eyes on the ball and the different achievements made in recent times is because of the roles of the different Stakeholders”, Dr. Peterside Dakuku stated.
The panelists, Rear Admiral, Ombo, Dr. Henry Muogho and Mrs. Ify Akerele
He also said that in the past few months the Agency has made significant progress in various areas such as; sponsoring 298 cadets to do sea time training in United Kingdom and Egypt; Nigeria has moved up in ease of doing business; also it is a fact that because of the New Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS), in the past six months we have had over 200 seafarers onboard different Cabotage vessel, amongst other developmental initiatives.
He hinted that the Agency is in talks with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to the engage over 100 brand new Cabotage vessels in the oil and gas industry.
Also, several Stakeholders in the industry threw their weight behind the maritime Agencies and pledged their continuous support to the growth and development of the maritime sector.
The event had in attendance the Chairman House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Hon Umar Bago who also stated that the Legislative House will do all it can within its powers to ensure the ease of doing business in the maritime sector.
From Left: Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman during and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Barrister Hassan Bello
Also present at the event are; the Chairman of the NIMASA Governing Board, Maj. Gen Jonathan India Garba (Rtd.), the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Mr. Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Ms Bala Hadiza Usman, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Hassan Bello. Other stakeholders from the private sector present at the event include, President Nigerian Shipowners Forum,Margaret Orakwusi, Ify Akerele as well as the Chairman, Truck Owners Association, Chief Aderemi Ogungbemi amongst other notable stakeholders.
