Former Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, on Saturday, said that indigenous ship owners would support Dr Dakuku Peterside, the newly-appointed Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
Iheanacho, Chairman, Genesis Shipping Worldwide, stated this in Lagos.
He said that the new director-general would do well to court the support of indigenous shipping, adding that the ship owners would fully support him.
“It is our hope that he would concentrate his efforts in a genuine attempt to grow indigenous capacity through a judicious use of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF)’’, Iheanacho said.
The mariner said the new director-general must make Cabotage provisions work.
Iheanacho explained that Peterside would need to understand the difference and the distinction between the administrative responsibilities for the safety of shipping and security of the maritime environment.
The mariner said that, “Safety of shipping and its associated costs is a NIMASA function while the security of the marine environment is the responsibility of the Navy.’’
He said NIMASA should be refocused to carry out its core maritime industrial safety and local capacity development responsibilities,
“while simultaneously demilitarising the outlook and presentation of the agency”
“We welcome Mr Peterside as the director-general of NIMASA. He is a good man.
“ We hope his appointment would mark the beginning of a positive change in the focus and administrative interventions of the agency(NIMASA),’’ Iheanacho said.
