Kunle Kalejaye 02 November 2016, Sweetcrude, Lagos – A Nigerian maritime professional body in diaspora, simply known as NIMSID, has called for the resignation of the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Dakuku Peterside.
NIMSID alleged that Mr. Peterside was incapable of handling the affairs of the agency, hence his failure to have achieved any tangible result since his appointment to the position earlier in the year.
The eastern branch deputy director of the group, Capt. Chinedu Williams, expressed the position of the group while addressing Nigerian youths in Belarus.
Capt. Williams, in a statement obtained by our correspondent, also alleged that Mr. Peterside was appointed to the position for the purpose of political compensation rather than on merit.
“This explains why the agency remains redundant in it operation,” he said.
He added: “It is sad to note that since Mr. Peterside assumed office, no tangible achievement has been recorded. It has been many talks, no action. The most scary development is that 90 percent of those that were secretly employed into the agency (since he came in) are mere touts who do not have knowledge of the maritime industry
“Our checks reveal that those touts he secretly gave employment happens to be miscreants who assisted him in his failed governorship election aspiration”.
Accusing the Federal Government of choosing mediocrity over merit, the group wondered why “someone who do not have a maritime degree or experience in the maritime industry should be given a task as huge as heading the apex maritime body”.
“This abnormally explains why up till now, there is not a common discharge book in view. What does it cost to print common discharge book? If Mr. Peterside cant produce common discharge book for our seafarers, what else can he do or what else is he doing in the office?
“We are calling on the Federal Government to replace Mr. Peterside with someone who knows the job. With some one like Peterside, there is no future for the maritime industry. Not only that he is not qualified for the job, but he lacks the capacity to move the industry forward,” Williams further alleged.
