Buhari Dumps Peterside, Appoints Bashir Jamoh As New NIMASA Boss

BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Speculations are rife that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a major shake-up in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) with the appointment of a new Director General for the money-spinning Agency.

The new man on the block is Kaduna State-born Bashir Jamoh, expected to replace Dakuku Peterside appointed in 2016 to head the maritime agency. Peterside’s four-year tenure as NIMASA Chief Executive effectively terminates on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

Though the Presidency is yet to  officially confirm Peterside’s sack from the revenue generating Agency, many had expected him to win Mr President’s confidence for a second four-year tenure given claims of his outstanding performance as NIMASA Chief Executive.

Stakeholders and operators in the sector credit him with spearheading the Deep Blue project meant to fight crimes and criminality in the nation’s maritime industry.

However, insiders hinted that Jamoh, as Peterside’s replacement, is a highly experienced and well-grounded maritime expert, who presently occupies the office of NIMASA’s Executive Director in charge of Finance and Administration. He also heads the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA) as its current president.

The 56-year-old holds a PhD from the University of Port Harcourt, specialising in logistics and transport management. His other credentials include: Master’s degree in management from Korea Maritime and Ocean University; Post-graduate Diploma (PGD) in Management sciences from Bayero University, Kano; Accounting Diploma from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.

With about 32 years of professional experience in the transportation and maritime sector, Jamoh, who joined NIMASA in 2003 as an Assistant Chief Commercial Officer, Eastern and Central zones, is also the author of the book titled: ‘Harnessing Nigeria’s Maritime Assets: Past, Present and Future’.

Before transferring his services to the then National Maritime Authority (NMA) in 1994, Jamoh was a staff of the Kaduna state government.

Forefront’s usual reliable source hinted that with this development on ground, industry watchers are already expecting the President to appoint a new management team for NIMASA in the days ahead.