•As Jamoh promises more progress in sector

By Godwin Oritse & Godfrey Bivbere

STAKEHOLDERS in the  maritime industry have commended the new executive management team appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) led by Dr. Bashir Jamoh. They said that the choice of the team was a tremendous sign of better days ahead for the industry.

Jamoh was appointed alongside Victor Onyekachi Ochei, as Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services; Shehu Ahmed, Executive Director, Operations; and Chudi Offodile, Executive Director, Finance and Administration while the Board of the agency is chaired by Chief  Osita O. Osita.

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Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Jamoh at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos, an oil/ gas and shipping expert, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, commended the President for listening to the cry of the industry by appointing a technocrat to lead the foremost maritime regulatory agency in the country.

“Stakeholders are happy because Dr. Jamoh is somebody who has been in the industry for ages and together with the pedigree of his team we are sure NIMASA would do well to move the industry forward and we have to appreciate President Mahammadu Buhari for giving us this strong team,” Iheanacho stated.

He urged the new management to focus on the Agency’s core functions, particularly in the area of safety and sea worthiness of vessels, while taking seriously the issues of maritime labour and promotion of indigenous shipping to help grow the nation’s maritime industry.

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Starz Marine, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, appraised the appointment of Jamoh, saying he has the experience and expertise to steer the affairs of the Agency successfully.

“As an experienced bureaucrat and industry expert with a grounded knowledge of the maritime sector through practical experience and field knowledge, we believe that your appointment is not only a personal honor but an opportunity for you to apply these attributes in leading NIMASA to the next level. We’re happy that your appointment is surely a case of a round peg in a round hole”, Ogbeifun said.

In his response,  Jamoh said he was committed to ensuring that the Nigerian maritime sector gained its rightful place in the comity of successful maritime nations.

He assured of the unwavering zeal of the new executive management to ensure that the Agency focused on innovative and stakeholder-driven policies.

“We know without the support of stakeholders there is little or nothing we can do. So we urge you to cooperate with us because we are willing and ready to return the Nigeria maritime sector to the place it belongs among the leading maritime communities in the world,” Jamoh assured.

Vanguard