Dakuku Peterside urges Nigerians, Africans to protect fledgling democracy

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DG NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside

The Director General
of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku
Peterside has urged Nigerians and the entire African continent to jealously
guide the fledgling democracy which is gradually taking roots in the continent,
noting that it will help catalyze the economic development in the continent and
by extension the maritime sector.

Dr Dakuku who is
also the Chairman of Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA)
stated this in Lagos today during breakfast with some journalist in Lagos to
mark the Eid-El-Kabir celebrations.

Speaking further, he
said that AAMA under his leadership has prioritized projecting Africa as a
block deserving a larger share of global maritime trade based on its
contributions.

“Some
African countries still operate along colonial inclination and that tends to
slow down development particularly in the maritime sector. In those countries
where democracy is fully thriving such as Nigeria, stakeholders in the maritime
sector now speak with the voice of development, independent of colonial
masters. AAMA, under my watch has been able to give African maritime sector a
new voice, particularly at the International Maritime Organization, IMO,” he said.

While commenting on
how the Agency has become one of the leading parastatals of the Federal
Government in its huge contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), the
NIMASA DG said that some policies his administration adopted alongside the
Treasury Single Account TSA was responsible.

“NIMASA has transformed from
contributing barely 3 billion naira to over 20 billion naira annually to the
Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and it will keep getting better,” he
said.

Furthermore, he
said, “in order to block financial leakages, we subscribed to a full
bouquet of the Lloyds and Clarkson intelligence; this made it almost impossible
for any vessel calling at our ports to escape or under declare; the TSA and our
collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) amongst other agencies
also played a an important role”.

He also restated
NIMASA’s commitment to growing indigenous capacity in the sector, noting that
the engagement currently ongoing between the Agency and the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) was aimed at securing special interest rates and intervention
funds for vessel acquisition and other ancillary transactions in the sector,
all geared towards improving the Cabotage regime and the realization of a
robust maritime sector.

Dr. Dakuku who
referred to the maritime sector as a goldmine, used the opportunity to call for
more objectivity in the reportage of activities of the sector, and assured that
the Agency will continue to embrace all forms of collaborative initiatives that
can help boost the fortunes of the nation’s maritime sector.

Meanwhile, in his
Eid-El-Kabir message, the NIMASA DG urged Nigerians to love one another and
live peacefully as they celebrate Sallah, adding that the period is not only
for merriment but a time to reflect on happenings in the country.

“The
Sallah celebration is not only meant for wining and dining but a time to
reflect on re-dedicating our love for the nation. We have to exhibit values of
love, peace and prayer for the country. We should also use the occasion in
striving to continue to serve humanity irrespective of tribe, creed or
political leanings.

As
our country grapples with various challenges of development, this is also an
apt period for all of us to pray earnestly to God to continue to bless Nigeria
as well as guide and guard it as we approach the 2019 elections,” he
stated.