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Tag: Peterside

  • Peterside vows to fight sea pirates

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General (DG) Dr Dakuku Peterside has vowed to stem the tide of criminalities on territorial waters, develop human capacity, ensure safety of vessels, remove wrecks and mitigate pollution.

    Peterside, who spoke with The Nation, assured indigenous ship owners and the international community that NIMASA would ensure the safety of their vessels,  crew and cargoes to foster shipping business and trading.

    He hailed the partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, describing the institutions as partners in progress.

    The NIMASA boss noted the importance of the Navy to the development of the maritime sector, thanking the Navy for the synergy.

    He commended the officers and men of the Navy for their efforts in combating piracy over the years, pledging the agency’s support in carrying out its operations.

    “Piracy is capable of crippling the economy. Since shipping largely contributes to the growth of any economy, the economy cannot thrive where piracy activities are carried out,” he said, adding that he was happy that the Nigerian Navy created the Central Naval Command, which would help checkmate illegalities in the industry.

    Peterside said the agency would continue to extend human capacity development training to the naval personnel in the Maritime Guard Command Unit of the agency.

    He also warned shipping companies against polluting the ports, which had adopted best practices to protect marine resources from ship pollution.

    He urged the firms to use the waterways well or face the law, adding that pollution must be tackled to make the waterways cleaner.

    He expressed displeasure that general environmental issues were not considered by some oil and gas firms in the country.

    NIMASA, he said, will issue a roadmap on Marine Waste Management in Nigeria.

    According to him, NIMASA will domesticate some International Maritime Organisation (IMO) codes and conventions to protect the maritime sector, adding that IMO and domestic laws were considered in planning the roadmap structure to provide the ideal platform to grow the business of managing waste generated in the maritime environment.

    He plegded the agency’s support for public-private partnership model to facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste.

    Meanwhile, Sea and Cargo Logistics Chairman Raphael Christo-pher has alleged that many foreign ships were polluting the territorial waters with waste and depleting fish stocks.

    At a seminar organised by sea workers in Lagos, he urged the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to fashion out a policy that will facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste within the marine and coastal environment.

    Twenty-eight countries, with an aggregate merchant shipping tonnage of 26.37 per cent of the world total, Christopher said, have ratified the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) convention.

  • Wike lied on Buhari’s achievements in Rivers – Peterside

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said on Thursday that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is being economical with the truth by claiming that President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t record any achievement in the state in the last three years.

    Peterside, in an online statement issued by his media team, wondered why Wike chose to feign ignorance of the Federal Government’s giant strides in Rivers State.

    He said: “I listened to Wike lie that President Buhari has not done anything for Rivers State and I wondered if there is no such thing as truth anymore. Wike ought to know that he is entitled to his opinion, but not his own facts.

    “It is obvious to the least discerning that Wike, who has since bidden farewell to real development, has taken the war on truth to a new level. He knows that the Bodo-Bonny Road is the biggest construction project going on in Rivers State today, and the N70 billion expansion of Afam Power Project (in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers) is on a progressive course. These are dividends of President Buhari’s zeal to revive moribund projects in the state.

    “What of the Niger Delta Regional Hospital undertaken by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)? What of the Ogoni clean-up project, which was abandoned before now and the report (submitted to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on August 4, 2011) dumped on a shelf? President Buhari has revisited the coastal rail line project, with assurances that work will commence once the budget is passed. Work is nearing completion on the new Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal, while the new Port Harcourt International Airport’s Complex building will soon be inaugurated.”

    The NIMASA chief, who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the 2015 election in Rivers, also disclosed that President Buhari had directed the fixing of Elelenwo-Eleme Section of the East-West Road.

    He said Wike collected money from companies operating in the axis but didn’t fix the road.

     

  • Peterside: women playing key roles

    Peterside: women playing key roles

    The Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has stated that women are playing major roles in the growth and development of Nigeria.

    He hailed the contributions of women to humanity, as the world marked the International Women’s Day yesterday.

    Peterside, who is the deputy leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, noted that women have contributed sweat, industry, creativity, grace and intelligence to the emergence of generations and industrial revolutions that shaped humanity.

    The NIMASA chief, yesterday, through his media team, in an online statement, stated that any country that desired to make progress without giving recognition to women is doomed.

    He paid tributes to Nigerian women, who challenged the status quo and rose to the pinnacle of every profession.

    According to a United Nations’ (UN) report, one in three women experience violence in their lifetime, while 830 women die every day from preventable pregnancy-related causes, and only one in four legislators worldwide are women.

    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, reiterated that in all positions he held, women were given equal consideration like their male counterparts, promsing that he will continue to support every platform that seeks to promote the good of women and their emancipation.

    He asked those occupying different positions in and outside government to give women the leverage to achieve their dreams in life, insisting that women are the bedrock of any nation and that any achievement they make reflects on the society.

    Quoting from a former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated that: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” the NIMASA chief urged Nigerian women not to be deterred in their quest to make the changes they desire in the society.

    He said: “The APC-led Federal Government has created many platforms, policies and programmes aimed at giving women the opportunities to become whatever they desire in life. in addition to giving women sensitive positions.”

  • Why people, companies are leaving Rivers, by Peterside

    Why people, companies are leaving Rivers, by Peterside

    The Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said many people and companies are leaving Rivers State because of insecurity and multiple taxation.

    He noted that on the poverty index, Rivers State has taken over from Zamfara State, which used to have the highest number of poor persons.

    Peterside, who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 in Rivers, spoke in Port Harcourt at a brainstorming evening organised by Business Rivers.

    Business Rivers, consisting of professionals from various fields, is led by Utchay Okorji.

    The NIMASA chief, who shared his thoughts on Rivers economy, the way forward, said: “Businesses are no longer thriving in Rivers State, because the Rivers government does not give serious attention to security. Rivers State is now crippled by insecurity. Police records, based on data, show that Rivers State has remained number one in kidnapping and other crimes for a very long time.

    “The quality of leadership determines the quality of the economy. The quality of the economy we have determines the quality of life the people live. To have good economy, there must be good leaders. Rivers does not currently have a leader that will unleash the potential in the people, to be a prosperous state that everybody will be proud of.

    “The economy is a function of policies, while policies are a function of politics, which determines the kind of leaders we have. The same way a human body cannot function without the brain, the polity of any nation, a state or sub-national cannot function without leaders, who make decisions that affect outcomes.

    “Nobody will invest in a place, where there is no respect for law and contract. Governor Nyesom Wike woke up one morning and said the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of Novotel Hotel on Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerly Stadium) Road in Port Harcourt had been revoked. From that moment, the business community got the signal that Rivers State is not a safe place to invest in.”

    Peterside, who is deputy leader of APC in Rivers, also stated that no society could make progress, without respecting knowledge and people of skills, noting that the transformation of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took place in such a short period, because value was given to knowledge, skills and private enterprises.

    The NIMASA chief said: “The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) states that Rivers State is number one in unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria. In 2010, Rivers state’s unemployment rate was 27 per cent. Today, the unemployment rate is 41.82 per cent. We have made progress in unemployment and underemployment. Rivers State has a huge unemployed population.

    “In the misery index, Rivers State is at 79.87 per cent and No. 1 in the country. That means eight of 10 persons feel miserable in Rivers State.

    “In 2010, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Rivers State was $21 billion, while GDP of Lagos State in the same 2010 was $31 billion. Today, the GDP of Lagos State, after seven years, is $91 billion, meaning that the volume of products and services have grown three times in a period of seven years.

    “Within the same period of seven years, the GDP of Rivers State grew from $21 billion to the estimated GDP of $22 billion, a growth of just $1 billion. The GDP between Lagos State and Rivers State is widening by the day geometrically.

    “Rivers State now has the highest inflation rate in Nigeria, because the state produces nothing, literally. Another indicator is the Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR). Whereas other states are making progress in IGR, Rivers State is not making commensurate progress.”

  • Wike’s penchant for lies may destroy him, says Peterside

    Wike’s penchant for lies may destroy him, says Peterside

    THE 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has stated that Governor Nyesom Wike’s penchant for lies may destroy him.

    He reacted yesterday in Port Harcourt through his aide to remarks by Wike, who claimed that as commissioner for Works in the last administration, Peterside did not build a road to Opobo/Nkoro, his council.

    Peterside, who is the director-general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), however, declared that Wike was fond of deceiving the people, who he said see through Wike’s lies.

    He said: “I served as commissioner for Works in Rivers State, at a time when one of the pillars of the administration was infrastructural development. Dr Peter Odili’s administration, through the instrumentality of then Deputy Governor, Sir Gabriel Toby, initiated the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road, a total of 37 kilometres, with 10 bridges and many culverts. Unfortunately, the administration was winding up, so could only do two bridges and got the road to Iwoama Asarama, achieving 26 per cent of the total job scope.

    “That was the point we met the road. At the insistence of the Amanyanabo of Opobo and the people of Nkoro, we did a new alignment to Nkoro, taking it to Kalaibiama and from there to Opobo Town, thus introducing the Nkoro-Kalaibiama-Opobo town alignment of 11.5 kilometres and four bridges.

    ‘’With the change in alignment, the unity road became 44.09 kilometres, as against 37.7 kilometres awarded by the Odili administration in 2005. In all, six bridges were completed under my watch and two bridges (Nos 9 and 10) were at 70 per cent and 50 per cent completion, at the end of the Amaechiadministration in 2015.

    “We started driving to Nkoro Town and I drove down to Kalaibiama Town in Opobo to campaign in 2015.  This is the true situation of things, which Rivers people know, especially those from Andoni and Opobo. Similarly, those from Ikuru Town could drive home, I did that with the then Deputy Governor,Tele Ikuru, many times.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Peterside vows to fight piracy

    Peterside vows to fight piracy

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Dr Dakuku Peterside has vowed to fight piracy, develop human capacity, ensure safety of vessels and removal of wrecks and mitigate the effects of pollution.

    Speaking with The Nation, Peterside noted that NIMASA owes the international community the obligation to ensure the safety of their vessels, crew and cargoes to foster shipping trade between Nigeria and other parts of the world.

    He hailed the partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, describing both institutions as partners in progress.

    The NIMASA boss noted the importance of the Navy to the development of the nation’s maritime sector and thanked the Navy for the synergy.

    He commended the officers and men of the Nigerian Navy for their efforts in combating piracy over the years, pledging the agency’s support to the deal to help it carry out effectively, its operations.

    “Piracy is capable of crippling the economy. Since shipping largely contributes to the growth of any economy, the economy cannot thrive where piracy activities are carried out.”

    He said he was happy that the Nigerian Navy created the Central Naval Command, noting that it would help checkmate illegalities in the industry.

    He said the agency would continue to extend human capacity development to the naval personnel in the Maritime Guard Command Unit of the agency.

    He also warned shipping companies against polluting the ports. It said it had adopted best practices to protect marine resources from ship pollution.

    The NIMASA DG urged the firms to use the waterways well or face the law, adding that pollution must be tackled to make the waterways cleaner.

    He said he was not happy that general environmental issues were not considered by some oil and gas firms in the country.

    NIMASA, he said, would issue roadmap on Marine Waste Management in Nigeria.

    He said NIMASA would domesticate some International Maritime Organisation (IMO) codes and conventions to protect the maritime sector.

    He said IMO and domestic laws were considered in planning the road map structured to provide the ideal platform to grow the business of managing waste generated in the maritime environment.

    He plegded the agency’s support for public-private partnership model to facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste within the marine and coastal environment.

    Maenwhile, Sea and Cargo Logistics Chairman, Raphael Christo-pher alleged that many foreign ships were polluting the nation’s territorial waters with waste and depleting fish stocks.

    At a seminar organised by sea workers in Lagos, he urged the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi , to fashion out a policy that will facilitate effective management of ship-generated waste within the marine and coastal environment.

    Christopher said 28 countries, with an aggregate merchant shipping tonnage of 26.37 per cent of the world total, have ratified the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) convention.

  • FSARS: Wike, other campaigners are crime beneficiaries, says Peterside 

    FSARS: Wike, other campaigners are crime beneficiaries, says Peterside 

    Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) chief Dakuku Peterside yesterday said those behind the #EndFSARS campaign were beneficiaries of crime.

    Peterside took a swipe at Rivers State Governor Nyelsom Wike, alleging that he was wasting the state’s resources on the social campaign against the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) because the unit refused his machinations.

    The NIMASA boss spoke on the sideline at a two-day conference of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea (GoG) Group held in Lagos.

    According to him, Nigerians should support the FSARS, not condemn it, given the strides the unit has recorded in combating violent crimes despite limited resources.

    He advised that the unit should be reformed, just like the police and other agencies of government, to enable it perform optimally.

    Peterside said: “The campaign against the FSARS is being championed by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and probably the People’s Democratic Party. They have been shouting that SARS be scrapped.

    “We all know that without the police in a society, we cannot maintain law and order. In order to enforce its mandate, which is the enforcement of law and order, the police create units and the SARS was created as a response to violent crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping.

    “Unfortunately, these vices are worst in Rivers State. Consistently for the past 18 months, Rivers State has occupied number one position in high profile crimes. There have been recent cases of assassination and armed robbery.

    “The SARS in Rivers State has been very potent in tackling such crimes. But because the government seeks to control the unit and it has refused and insisted that it was an institution of the Federal Government, working for the general good of the people, they are not happy.

    “But if we keep quiet as a people, this issue would assume a life of its own and we would have a society that is brutish and one where there’s a wind of crime.

    “I think we should put things in proper perspective. That Nigerians support the police. We support the FSARS. We support that the police be reformed to perform optimally like other institutions of government.

    “Rather than condemn them, we should advocate that government should give them the tools to do their work.

    “The government of Rivers State has isolated the FSARS for attack because they are used to working in unholy alliance with some of these institutions. This particular unit has refused to compromise and so, they have initiated a campaign of calumny against them. But the ordinary people of Rivers State appreciate the sacrifices of FSARS.

    “They have helped to control high violent crimes in Rivers State. For the state to spend all her resoruces to campaign against a unit of an agency, something must be wrong.”

    Peterside debunked that ship owners called for his sack, describing it as deliberate mischief.

    According to the NIMASA boss, over 80 per cent of the ministerial recommendation for restructuring had been implemented

    On maritime security, Peterside said there was a reduction in crimes, adding that the international community saw in Nigeria the will to tackle these challenges. That is why the conference was hosted in the country, he added.

    Peterside said with a little support,  Nigeria would surmount maritime crime in the GoG. The agency plans to train 280 sea fearers in Egypt and United Kingdom between this month and January 2018, adding that over 2500 persons have been sent to various institutions. About 1400 of them had graduated, Peterside said.

     

  • Peterside condemns suspension of APC lawmaker

    Peterside condemns suspension of APC lawmaker

    Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has condemned the suspension of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Azubike Nwanjoku (Ikwerre).

    He said the lawmakers must be called to order, adding that the Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani-led Assembly lacked the powers to suspend Nwanjoku, who is also the President-General of Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) International.

    Peterside, in a statement yesterday by his media team, said if the PDP lawmakers were properly informed, they would have known that they lacked the authority to suspend their colleague.

    He referred the lawmakers to a recent suit filed by Senator Ali Ndume, challenging his suspension by the Senate leadership, stressing that Justice Babatunde Quadri ordered Ndume’s reinstatement.

    The DG accused the PDP lawmakers of being used by an external influence, maintaining that the latest action would only heat up the polity.

    The statement reads: “The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly must be called to order. They want to embark on a journey which can cause unnecessary tension in the state. It is trite in law that even an accused must be given the opportunity to defend himself.

    “By becoming a law unto itself, the Rivers Assembly leadership is unwittingly bringing home ant-infested wood, and it must be ready to dance when the music is played. The PDP members in the House can quickly correct themselves and salvage whatever pride left in them.

    “From the way the House operates, one can effortlessly affirm that the once-honourable House has self relegated its core essence to petty local political rivalry, and has become a laughing stock, a cadre of lawmakers who ought not to be taken seriously.

    “The attempt by a certain individual to become an emperor will only last but for a moment. The unfolding drama in House is being orchestrated by the emperor and at the fullness of time, his end will become history.”

    Nwanjoku was on Monday suspended for alleged misconduct, following a vote by 15 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, while the two APC lawmakers in attendance voted against the decision.

     

  • ‘Peterside deserves higher national honours’

    ‘Peterside deserves higher national honours’

    The Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria (FONGON), an umbrella body of over 100 NGOs, has suggested the conferment of a higher national honour on the Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside.

    In a statement in Lagos signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Wole Badmus, the group viewed the contributions of NIMASA to national development as a demonstration of high managerial acumen on the part of Peterside.

    “The recent revelation of humongous amount of money returned to national coffers by NIMASA management reinforces our belief in the ability of Dr. Peterside to discharge on the mandate of conducting public duties diligently and efficiently,” it said.

    FONGON said: “NIMASA, under the leadership of Dr. Peterside in one year and one month, remitted N9.975 billion to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and $38,272,121.12 to same. A breakdown of the contribution showed that the agency contributed N5 billion to CRF on June 1, 2016, as part payment of operating surplus for 2015 and 2016. This was followed up by another payment of N4.975 billion on June 2 of the same year.

    “While the agency paid $7 million on November 22, last year, as part payment of 2016 operating surplus, it made another contribution of $15 million to CRF on April 19, 2017. Another contribution of $16,272,121.12 was paid on July 18 as part payment of 2017 operating surplus.”

    It considered this performance as a rare feat, bearing in mind that the past was not too good financially for the organisation.

    “Against a background of an organisation renowned for financial notoriety, wasteful spending and reckless disobedience to fiscal responsibility requirements, FONGON views this laudable performance on the part of the Peterside-led management as a transformation of the previously underperforming agency. It is not a surprise when the minister of Finance singled out NIMASA and JAMB for praise following measures to bring down operational cost and generate more money than they did in previous years.

    “The federal accountant-general attested to the financial wizardry and managerial ingenuity of Peterside when he said ‘despite the general downturn in accruable revenue to the government due to the economic situation, the remittance to CRF by NIMASA this year has been the highest by the agency when compared to corresponding periods of recent years.

    “It was also the first time in recent years that NIMASA will remit huge revenue to government’s coffers.”

     

  • Peterside, APC congratulate Uchendu, Abe, others

    Peterside, APC congratulate Uchendu, Abe, others

    The Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has described the victory of Chief Andrew Uchendu and Senator Magnus Abe at the Appeal Court as a “resounding and genuine reflection of the wishes of Rivers people, who had clamoured for an APC-led government in the state”.

    Uchendu and Abe had their victories upheld by the Appeal Court, following previous triumphs at the Rivers State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

    Peterside said: “The victory of Chief Uchendu and Senator Abe today at the highest court responsible for adjudication in National Assembly cases confirms what we have always known that there is power in unity and that Rivers State, after all said and done, is APC.

    “Our people naturally are progressively-minded, not minding the temporary darkness that seems to envelop our state. What has happened today reassures us of brighter days ahead.

    “I congratulate the people of Rivers East and South East, particularly Chief Uchendu and Senator Abe, for demonstrating resilience in the face of daunting challenges.

    “I appreciate our leader, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his boldness, magnanimity and insight. I congratulate members of APC who, though the signs of where we are going may seem blurred, yet they followed us with unwavering loyalty, dedication and commitment.

    “God will reward every one of you as you see in this time, the ray of hope glow again for APC faithful. Two thousand and nineteen presents us the opportunity to chase away those who have held our state down and strangulated the lofty dreams of our forebears.”

    The state chapter of APC described yesterday’s loss at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, by Sekibo and Olaka as a notice to the PDP and Governor Nyesom Wike to start packing to vacate Govt House, Port Harcourt in 2019.

    Rivers APC, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, noted that the victories of Chief Andrew Uchendu (to now represent Rivers East) and Senator Magnus Abe (of Rivers Southeast) were well deserved.

    It said: “Rivers APC is delighted at the victories recorded by Chief Uchendu and Senator Abe at the Court of Appeal today (yesterday). They are a culmination of the long quest for justice by the individuals directly, the party and our leader, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation minister).

    “Today (yesterday), our position that Chief Uchendu was robbed of victory and attempts were being made to rob Senator Abe of his victory has been confirmed by the Appeal Court.”