Budget implementation: Reps commends NIMASA …Dakuku assures Committee on accountability

Budget implementation: Reps commends NIMASA

. .Dakuku assures Committee on accountability

By Udeme Clement & Silas Onuoha

 The House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration has commended Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ,NIMASA,  for its performance in implementing 2017 budget,  saying the Agency should strive to improve on its performance in 2018.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mohammed Umaru Bago who made this commendation, expressed delight on the Agency’s strides in repositioning  Nigerian maritime sector, since the inception of this administration.

Speaking shortly after listening to a presentation from the Agency on 2017 budget performance, which was based on five transformation agenda of  Dr. Dakuku led Management,  Bago  said there were improvements in the Agency’s activities last year.

He also commended the Agency on the feat achieved on Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme ,NSDP, through sea time training, which was hitherto a challenge in the past. The Committee urged NIMASA to fast track delivery of the fifth largest floating dock to Nigeria, as it will help mitigate capital flight, and will create more jobs for Nigerians.

He enthused, “We  have visited beneficiaries of NSDP in some countries.  In Egypt for example, we discovered over 300 cadets undergoing sea time training. As a Committee, we will continue to give the Agency the required legislative backing in ensuring that it achieves its mandate, in order to ensure a robust maritime sector”.

In his response, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside expressed appreciation to the Committee for its unalloyed support. “The Agency’s commitment to make accountability its watchword is key”, he stressed.

He emphasized, “When you are given an assignment, you are expected to be accountable. You are expected to conduct the assignment in a transparent manner. That is exactly what NIMASA is doing. We have the mandate to promote and regulate shipping activities in Nigeria and we have to continue to engage all stakeholders locally and internationally, in order to assure them of a conducive environment for their businesses to thrive”.

On  capacity building,  which is one of the strategic pillars of the current leadership of NIMASA,  DG pointed out,  “Training and retraining of staff has been a major focus that helps to improve productivity and professionalism of the workforce”.

He went on,  “The beauty of democracy is  synergy between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.   We are all working for a single purpose to help Nigerians. We are working to help the Nigerian people, to ensure that life is better for all our people. No single arm of government can do it alone; we must work in a collaborative manner”.

It could be recalled that in the last two years of Peterside’s led administration, visible transformation has taken place.  This has been made possible through continuous collaboration with stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.