Wike’s latest offer on criminals, another smokescreen to cover failure... Dr. Dakuku Peterside

PRESS STATEMENT BY DR. DAKUKU ADOL PETERSIDE

The latest broadcast by Rivers State Governor, Ezebuwon Nyesom Wike, CON, GSSRS in which he named and placed cash ransom on certain 32 verified notorious cultists, kidnappers, terrorists and murderers in 12 local government areas is a mere smokescreen to cover the failure of his regime to protect the people he swore to an oath to protect.

That speech is nothing but an attempt by Wike to massage a people already traumatised, who daily bear the marks of their bruised pride. The agony of this situation is exacerbated by the knowledge that while Rivers burnt and roasted, Wike cared less.  

In his Monday speech, Wike made claims that need further interrogation to actually determine their validity, or, it was an arm of a state propaganda.

The first that needs scrutiny is Wike’s allusion that because he visited the families of the bereaved in Omoku and pledged N200 million ransom on the alleged killers on New Year Day, the chief suspect, Johnson Onyedibia, aka Don Wani, was gunned down.  The fact is that in a state where a sitting governor values the lives of subjects, such calamity would have warranted a visit same day. But it took Wike days and that was after he had been informed that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, was sending the Interior Minister to visit Omoku. So, in the face of this even Wike’s visit to Omoku belies sincere grief for the families.

As always, rather than own up to obvious failure, Gov. Wike made an unsubstantiated allegation against an unnamed “former governor and his ilk”, claiming they had interfered with the state government’s amnesty programme. Lies, no matter how long told, will never cover the truth which in this instance is that Wike’s Amnesty programme was not planned to end insecurity in Rivers State but to offer state cover to designated criminals for purposes known to their patrons. 

In his warped understanding of governance, Wike believes that offering financial baits would turn his page of complicity in this whole saga around. Rivers people cannot be fooled by this display of ineptitude. Wike’s offer of another tranche of cash on criminals is no remediation for the pains, loss and agony caused families.

Leadership is humane. This is an attribute grossly lacking in the man who oversees the once-sought-after Rivers State. How can Wike face families whose breadwinners and loved ones were gruesomely murdered by the criminals to tell them that oil companies, other politicians outside his fold, Federal security agencies were liable for the murder of their loved ones? How can Wike stand against good conscience and the families of the 23 massacred on New Year’s Eve in Omoku, to absolve himself of their death being the state Chief Security Officer of the state? Has Wike bothered to empathize with Egbeda community for the gruesome murder of her mothers, father, sons and daughters a few days back?  The situation in Andoni is no less worrisome. Can Wike in good conscience, absolve himself in the bloodbath that has turned the state into “Rivers of Blood”? Good conscience would not absolve the guilty.

Would he as the Chief Security Officer of the state, with unhindered access to daily security statistics, feign ignorance of black spots and flashpoints in the state he was expected to be governor? 

Wike cannot deny that there existed a functional security architecture the previous Administration had instituted that secured the state and made it inhabitable. Being a key player in that Administration, at least, in its early days, offered him huge access into that structure. But Wike, rather than strengthen it, blew all away in his attempt to erase records of his predecessors. In the face of this, if anybody played bet with the lives of Rivers people, it was Wike.   

Wike’s speech was a warped absolution that presented those persons named as the reason the state had collapsed right in his hands. Nothing can be farther from the truth than that. 

The governor had a lot of grace period to have moved to save the several lives of innocent, law-abiding Rivers people and residents lost to the carnage and orgy of bloodletting imposed on Rivers State by criminals and their sponsors. 

What Wike has done, therefore, amounts to submitting to an admittance that he reneged on his oath of office, and so, had failed Rivers people.

If not, how could it take Wike over 30 months to admit in public that the real governors of Rivers State were criminals? 

Rivers State is already flat. The statistics say so. In its recent listing, a verified agency listed the state as the most miserable state to live in Nigeria at 79.37% rate. With unemployment and underemployment rate at 61.4, the highest in the country, and inflation at 18.01%, the state is already broken. 

The best that Wike can do for the state at the moment, is to end this blame-game and sincerely, for the sake of the state, and for the memory of those whose lives had been brutally ended due to the state’s siddon-look, work with the Federal Government to end this tragedy.

Dakuku Peterside Hails Security Agencies for Killing Rivers Notorious Criminal ...Charges Wike to show political will

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has expressed gratitude to Nigerian security agencies, particularly the army and State Security Service (SSS) for working together to kill a notorious criminal, Igwedibia Johnson aka Don Waney, who for long terrorized the people of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.

According to him, “This is a confidence-building step towards restoration of law and order in Rivers State.”

A statement from the Nigeria Army Public Relations department disclosed that Don Waney and two of his accomplices were killed in Enugu while trying to escape after being encircled.

Dr. Peterside, while commending the gallantry of the security men, urged them not to rest on their oars until all criminal elements in Rivers state have been arrested and made to face their days in court.

Said he: “The people of ONELGA have been harassed, traumatized, maimed and killed needlessly. This is a great day for the people and end of the road for those who felt this day would never come. For their sponsors, they should know that there is a consequence for every action and a day of reckoning for all of us.”

The NIMASA boss sympathized with those who have lost their loved ones in ONELGA and called on the Rivers state government to give all the required support to security agencies, while also showing the political will to distance itself from criminal elements.

“This is a good warning to all those who think they can be protected and accommodated by politicians. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword; we must give every support to the security agencies to help them rid our state of these criminals.

“Let me also call on the Governor Wike-led administration to create policies and programmes that will create employment opportunities for the teeming Rivers youth. The government must go beyond brick and mortar and, fashion out ways of getting our youth employed.

“Rivers has huge potentials in agriculture and allied products, I see no reason why the state government has not looked at such opportunities to engage our youth. Governance is not just about building houses and painting roads; human capacity development is also very crucial,” he stressed.

Peterside assured the security agencies that Rivers people will continue to cooperate with them in terms of information, logistics and mutual respect as a way of promoting peace and attracting investors.

MARITIME LABOUR: MWUN RULES OUT PICKETING: Commends NIMASA On Sustained Industry Peace

The President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has commended the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) led by Dr. Dakuku Peterside for creating the platform for sustained labour stability in the entire maritime sector.

Comrade Adeyanju gave this commendation when members of the Union’s National Officers paid a courtesy visit to the NIMASA Management in Lagos, saying that as soon as the Agency midwifed and ensured compliance to the National Judicial Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement there has been no rift in the industry.

“NIMASA has ensured that there is mutual understanding between workers and terminal operators. The era of picketing is over, we are indeed very grateful to Dr. Peterside and his management team for creating stability at our ports, terminals and jetties”.

While speaking at the event the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside assured the Nigerian Maritime Workers that the Agency would not shy away from its roles and responsibilities in ensuring that their welfare is guaranteed, as the growth and development of the sector depends on their participation and contributions.

The DG, who further reiterated the Agency’s commitment to engaging in meaningful and promising programmes geared towards Maritime Workers welfare, also called on the Union members to always apply dialogue when addressing issues and shun confrontation, which he noted to be counterproductive in any engagement or input.

In his words, “Let me assure you that NIMASA is a home to every maritime worker. From the advent of this Administration, we have noted that you believe in dialogue and not confrontation in dealing with issues as it pertains to our operational relationship. We believe that human element is the greatest asset in our quest to ensure the growth and development of our maritime sector. Without human element our equipment and other resources are useless”

Speaking further, Dr. Peterside acknowledged the complementary and symbiotic roles Maritime Workers, Seafarers and Dockworkers play in the life of any nation’s maritime sector and pledged to deploy resources within the Agency’s enabling capabilities to support the growth of the nation’s human maritime capacity.

“it is heartwarming to note that the MWUN leadership have clearly stated that Maritime workers prefer engagement to confrontation, and we all know that confrontation is not usually the best approach. We know that when we engage, we understand each other better. I am glad that you have chosen that approach because I believe it is the way to go and the way to achieve result and enjoy an era of peace and stability in the sector where we work. Our new capacity development initiatives are now tailored towards growing human capacity in  the sector for immediate employment”, Dr. Peterside said.

It is worthy of note that Dr. Peterside has always reiterated that the workers welfare is paramount to ensuring peace in the sector and this is evident in the speed with which the Agency midwifed the signing of the National Joint Industrial Council (NIJC) Agreement between the workers and operators of Terminals and Jetties.

SAFETY AT SEA: NIMASA TO ENFORCE STRICT OBSERVANCE TO REGULATIONS

As IMO Commends Agency’s Regional Search and Rescue Coordination The Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has restated the Agency’s commitment towards the enforcement of strict safety regulations at sea, in order to ensure the protection of Marine Environment and Safety of assets.

 The DG who made this assurance during the opening of the ongoing 4th Regional Technical Search and Rescue Committee meeting in Lagos, said that the establishment of an Emergency Service Division which is entrusted with the responsibility of rendering Search and Rescue Services to vessels and mariners in distress within the Nigerian territorial waters is a major accomplishment for the Agency.

Dr. Peterside who was represented at the event by the Agency’s Executive Director Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr Gambo Ahmed stated that the Agency as the regional coordinator of search and rescue for West and Central Africa remains committed to leading the region in that light, adding that aside continuous trainings of SAR officials, NIMASA is coming up with other modalities to complement its SAR plan.

The Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Ahmed Gambo who Represented the Director General of NIMASA, the Regional Coordinator, West and Central Africa-Anglophone, Technical Cooperation Division, IMO, Capt. Dallas Laryea who represented the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Mr. Kitack Lim, with other participants at the 4^thRegional Technical Search and Rescue Committee meeting holding in Lagos

According to the DG, “seafarers worldwide have the obligation to assist other ships in distress and as part of our commitment to SAR we have registered and trained volunteers as Maritime SAR Marshals in the riverine and inland areas. The psychic behind this is to ensure that these marshals are close to the loading/unloading bays of river crafts and thus enforce strict observance of regulations with respect to safety of lives and assets at sea”.

 Earlier in his speech, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Mr. Kitack Lim who was represented by the Regional Coordinator, West and Central Africa-Anglophone, Technical Cooperation Division, IMO, Capt. Dallas Laryea stated that international trade is very critical to the world’s economy with estimation of 90% of world trade and two thirds of its energy supplies carried by sea which makes safety paramount.

Picture L-R, Engr. Umotong Ekong, The Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, of NIMASA Mr. Ahmed Gambo, Honorable T. A. Hoba, IMO technical committee for Francophone Western Central Africa

Capt. Laryea commended NIMASA for its systematic and well laid-down procedures which the Agency has put in place to respond to emergencies that may occur at sea, especially in the Gulf of Guinea. He charged the Agency to continue to support the region and urged member states of the regional SAR to continue to collaborate to ensure a safe and secure West and Central African maritime domain.

It would be recalled that Nigeria is the host of the Regional Search and Rescue Coordinating Center and this is the 4th meeting of the Regional Search and Rescue Committee with attendance of member states which includes; Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Garbon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Benin Republic, Cameroun, Sao Tome & Principe, Nigeria.

REGIONAL COLLABORATION: NIGERIA-GHANA SIGN MOU ON MARITIME OPERATIONS.

In line with its vision to enhance regional integration to develop capacity, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghanaian Maritime Authority, GMA.

At the official signing of the MoU at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre in Lagos, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside noted that intra-African collaboration is a vital requirement for Africans to effectively harness the natural potentials that the Blue economy represent for the continent.

L-R: Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services, Mr Gambo Ahmed, Director General, Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr Kwame Owusu, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr Dakuku Peterside, Executive Director, Administration and Finance, NIMASA,  Mr Bashir Jamoh and the Executive Director, Operations, Engr. Rotimi Fasshakin at the signing of MoU between the agencies representing Nigeria and Ghana at the NIMASA Resource Centre, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, 16 October 2017. 

In his words” African countries must cooperate to solve challenges peculiar to the continent.  All maritime nations on the African continent have comparative advantage in different areas, and only collaboration will ensure that we complement each other, thus ensuring that the maritime sector contribute effectively to the growth of the continent”.

Dr. Peterside noted that Nigeria and Ghana have a historical link in the maritime sector, adding that the African maritime sector is richly endowed to the extent that coastal and aquatic ecosystems within the continent are treasures that provide diverse and vibrant natural resources.

 The NIMASA DG who is also the chairman of the Association of Heads of African Maritime Administrations commended the Management of Ghana Maritime Authority for seeking the collaboration and noted that the move will go a long way to strengthen efforts in the areas of promotion of scientific and technical cooperation; trade and movement facilitation; Exchange of information, data, knowledge and experience.

Director General, Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr Kwame Owusu, (left) and the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration & Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr Dakuku Peterside during the signing of MoU between the agencies representing Nigeria and Ghana at the NIMASA Resource Centre, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, 16 October 2017.

“The importance of bilateral cooperation to solve maritime environmental challenges that transcend international boundaries in our coastal and aquatic ecosystem cannot be overemphasised. We are ready, and will give our supports to tackle all associated maritime challenges that have over time impede and slow the region’s maritime sectoral progress. We are ready to work with Ghana in all fronts within our defined and enabling capacities. NIMASA will not relent or derelict its duties and responsibilities within the contemplation of this MoU”, the DG said.

Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority Mr. Kwama Owusu commended NIMASA and its Management for the role of championing the growth of the maritime sector in the sub-region in particular and in Africa in general. Mr. Kwame thanked NIMASA leadership and noted that the MoU would bring about constructive and healthy competition within the West African sub-region, as Ghana would continue to cross-fertilise ideas with Nigeria in the needed areas and at the same time learn from NIMASA as regards critical functional areas of maritime operations as encapsulated in the MoU.

The highlight of the renewable MoU, which has a life span of four years, include Knowledge Transfer and sharing Initiative between both Agencies; Joint Capacity Building Initiative; Cabotage Enforcement Joint Study Initiative; Joint Comparative Research Initiative and Joint Efforts to combat Piracy and Terrorism Initiative.

It would be recalled that the Management of the Ghana Maritime Authority had early in the year visited the NIMASA on a fact finding mission with the aim of ascertaining areas of possible collaboration and cooperation.

NIMASA Institutes Essay Competition to Commemorate World Maritime Day

As part of activities marking the 2017 World Maritime Day Celebration, the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has approved the institution of an essay competition to commemorate the event.

The essay competition titled "Connecting Ships, Ports and People" which is the theme for the 2017 World Maritime Day celebration is expected to be 1200 words long and is open to only first and second year students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria who must provide proof of studying at that level.

The winning prizes include Education Grant of N500,000.00 for the first position, N350,000.00 for the runner up and N250,000.00 for the third position with a laptop computer for each of them. There would also be consolation prizes of N100,000.00 for seven participants.

Speaking on the initiative, the Director General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said that the idea of the Essay Competition is to stimulate youth interest and intellectual discourse in harnessing the potentials of the maritime industry.

According to him, "if we say that the youths are the future of tomorrow, we must get them quickly interested and even involved in proffering solutions to some of the challenges that bedevil our country.

"This competition will therefore provide the platform where students will provide their perspectives on how Nigeria can turn the potentials in the maritime environment into opportunities that will unlock the vast wealth in our blue economy".

Dr. Peterside was optimistic that the essay competition will not only contribute to the robust discourse on realising the potentials of the blue economy but is also an opportunity for the Agency to support scholarship through the Education Grant.

The winners of the essay competition will be unveiled at the 2017 World Maritime Day celebration slated for Monday October 30, 2017 in Lagos. Further enquiries on the details of the competition can be found on the Agency's website at www.nimasa.gov.ng.

MARITIME PROVIDES A VERITABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH – NIMASA DG

…charges stakeholders to collaborate with NIMASA to develop Nigeria’s Blue Economy.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stressed the need for stakeholders to actively participate in the Nigerian maritime sector in order to support the growth of the country’s blue economy.

L-R: Chief of Naval Staff representative, Rear Admiral Sunday A.G. Ababa, Board Chairman NIMASA, General Jonathan India Garba,Director General, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, House Committee Chairman on Maritime Safety and Education, Hon. Umar Mohamed Bago and the Executive Director, Maritime Safety & Shipping Development, NIMASA, Engr. Rotimi Fashakin at the harmonized NIMASA Stakeholders Forum tagged: Synergy; An Instrument for Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Friday, September 29, 2017.

Dr. Peterside who made this known while addressing stakeholders at the Harmonised NIMASA Stakeholders Interactive Forum with the theme “Synergy: An Instrument for Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy” which held on Friday at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos said that amount of littoral states in Nigeria and the length of the nation’s makes the development of Nigeria blue economy a necessity for the country’s benefit.

The NIMASA DG said that the Agency is currently on a mission of changing the landscape of the nation’s maritime domain by putting a policy framework in place to allow maritime business to thrive.

L-R:  Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services, NIMASA, Mr Gambo Ahmed, Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority representative, Capt. Iheanacho Ebuboju, Chief of Naval Staff representative, Rear Admiral Sunday A.G. Ababa, Board Chairman NIMASA, General Jonathan India Garba and the Director General, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside at the harmonized NIMASA Stakeholders Forum tagged: Synergy; An Instrument for Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Friday, September 29, 2017.

According to the DG “ Maritime provide a veritable opportunity for us to grow our economy. We will ensure we play our role by providing necessary policies for industry players to reap the benefits of of participating in the sector in order to develop our blue economy for Nigeria’s benefit”.

Dr. Peterside however charged industry stakeholders to collaborate and cooperate with the Agency as it strives to create an enabling environment for them to operate adding that the Agency has created various platforms through which stakeholders can communicate with the Agency on various issues.

L-R: Chief of Naval Staff representative, Rear Admiral Sunday A.G. Ababa, Board Chairman NIMASA, General Jonathan India Garba and the Director General, NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside at the harmonized NIMASA Stakeholders Forum tagged: Synergy; An Instrument for Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Friday, September 29, 2017.

 “ The industry belongs to stakeholders, we must synergize to get the benefits embedded in maritime, we must work together all the time because it is our priority that those who do business in the industry flourish in order to develop our blue economy, and that is why we are in the process of acquiring more surveillance aircrafts and additional fast intervention vessels as enshrined in the new maritime security architecture approved by the Federal Executive Council to ensure that our maritime domain remains safe for doing business” he said.

The NIMASA DG also hinted that as part of ensuring the Nigerians reap the benefits of the industry, said that the Agency is also carrying out a robust human capacity building for the sector. He added that the Agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with some foreign schools to provide Sea time training to the graduates of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) which has hitherto been a challenge in the past.

L-R: Former Director General, NIMASA, Mr Temisan Omatseye, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside and the Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority representative, Capt. Iheanacho Ebuboju at the harmonized NIMASA Stakeholders Forum tagged: Synergy; An Instrument for Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy held at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Friday, September 29, 2017.

Also at the event, the Chairman Governing Board of the Agency, Major General Jonathan India Garba (Rtd.) said that the Board would continue to support the Dr. Peterside led Executive Management by giving necessary approvals that would reform the Nigerian maritime sector for economic benefit.

In the same vein, the Chairman House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, Mr. Muhammed Umar Bago said that the Legislative arm of the government is ready to support NIMASA and Stakeholders by providing laws that would advance the country’s maritime sector.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of Nigerian Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin commended NIMASA’s drive towards building capacity for the sector. He said that the effect of these drive would be felt in the industry sooner rather than later.

It would be recalled that Dr. Dakuku Peterside since assumption of duty had always advocated for stakeholders cooperation towards building a viable maritime sector. He has also championed the repositioning of the regulatory Agency for optimum service delivery.