President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Bashir Jamoh as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency replacing Dakuku Peterside.
Peterside was appointed in 2016 to head the maritime agency but his tenure as NIMASA DG ends on March 10, 2020.
This development was confirmed from a source at the Ministry of Transportation, Abuja in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents.
Peterside has been at the centre of controversy in recent times.
In February, the agency faced probe by the House of Representatives for allegedly failing to audit its account for six years.
In December 2019, the Senate reportedly threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the former NIMASA DG over his refusal to honour an invitation of the Joint Committee on Navy, Maritime and Finance, to answer questions about the activities of a private security company and some government security agencies accused of collecting illegal fees for securing vessels at the Safe Anchorage Area.
On Tuesday, Peterside failed to also appear personally in response to summons by the joint committee investigating activities of foreign vessel owners in Nigeria, by so doing, incurred the wrath of the National Assembly.
NIMASA explained later in a statement signed by its Head, Corporate Communications, Isichei Osamgbi, that Peterside had been unable to honour the summons because he was hosting members of the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, who came on an oversight visit to the agency.
The newly appointed DG is currently the Executive Director, Administration and Finance at NIMASA.
He served with the Kaduna state government before transferring his services to the then National Maritime Authority in 1994.
Jamoh is also said to have 32 years of professional experience in the transportation and maritime sector.
He is the author of the book, Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets: Past, Present and Future.
Jamoh joined NIMASA in 2003 as an assistant chief commercial officer, eastern and central zones.
