By Elizabeth Chukwuma
In spite of the criticisms that had trailled the All Progressive Congress, APC, government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, economic policies over the last four years, Dakuku Peterside, Director General , Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, thinks differently.
Peterside who could not his feelings said, the Katsina born Nigerian President economic policies are not only ‘’succeeding but reliable’’. The NIMASA Director General who spoke at the seventh edition of the Pan African International Recognition Awards Discourse held in Accra, Ghana, where the Apex Maritime Regulatory agency was recognized for ‘’its giant achievements in the nation’s maritime Industry, said Buhari ‘’economic policies are reliable and dependable as ‘’it is driving the growth and economic development of the country through good governance’’.
Note that the Accra event was a ‘’forum to showcase and honour leaders, individuals who have distinguished themselves in their chosen career and areas of business including Organisations and who have shown commitment to the development of the African Continent.
The NIMASA boss, was said to have told those that cares to listen that the Accra Award was a Statement to the success and dependability of the APC controlled government economic agenda. He disclosed that from the onset of his assumption of duties in the agency about four years ago, ‘’ it had been running on the vision of the President to restore the country to greatness’’.
He cited the Transformational agenda of the government which had gone a long way to transform the agency to a world class maritime Administration. Bashir Jamoh, The NIMASA Executive Director, Finance and Administration, who was said to have received the award on behalf of the Organisation, said it would further galvanise the agency to do more in the nation’s maritime sector to attract more shipping companies into Nigeria seaports.
The event which was said to have brought together intellectuals and financial experts from across Africa, Europe, Asia and North America , was ostensibly to offer solutions to the varied challenges facing the African countries. One of such African intellectuals at the forum was Patrick Loch Lumumba, a Professor of Law and the Director of Kenya School of Law, who was said to presented the keynote address.
Political analysts see the forum as an opportunity for , political leaders Heads o ,government agencies in the respective African countries research institutions and investors to meet to rub minds to proffer solutions to numerous problems facing the Continent ranging from unemployment terrorism, Banditry, Kidnapping, insecurity to Corruption.
These security challenges, according to the analysts have prevented most African countries, particular, Nigeria, from reaching the developmental potential commensurate with the billions of dollar generated from oil and non- oil exports including duties collected on imported cargoes through the nation’s seaports and Border stations across the country.
Going by the numerous Awards which had been bestowed on NIMASA since Peterside was appointed the Director General of the agency in 2015, Isiechi Osamgbi, a Deputy Director and the Organisation Spokesperson described Ghana Award as the latest recognition of the ‘’efforts by NIMASA to positively contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and the African Continent in general’’.
According to Osamgbi, the Award came on the heels of the outstanding invaluable Company Award which Ratary International had earlier conferred on the Agency last March for its various Corporate social Responsibilities that it has embarked upon in the recent time.
Take for instance the distribution of gift items ranging from food items , beverages , Fish nets, bedsheet to clothing materials to flood victims in Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo and other states of the Federation, forcing Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state to challenge other Heads of government Parastals to take a cue from NIMASA.