The former Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that the demise of the former Imo State Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Chris Asoluka has created a huge vacuum that will take ages to fill.
Asoluka who is regarded as an authority in the maritime sector of the economy kicked the bucket recently throwing many stakeholders into mourning with not a few praying for the repose of his soul.
Peterside in a statement made available to Maritime Bits said he received the news with a shock just as he described the deceased as a “mentor supporter and adviser” during his tenure as the Director General of NIMASA.
He noted that the late soluka represented progressive thinking and was ever willing to share his thoughts on maritime matters even as he opened his doors for mentorship to so many people.
His words: “Dr. Asoluka was an authority and quintessential consultant on maritime issues. I looked up to him during my time and after in NIMASA. He was ever willing to offer admonitions. His dedication to maritime development was second to none. He contributed in diverse ways to the making of the Cabotage Act and strengthened its implementation. He was a policy thought leader whose ideas shaped the Nigerian maritime industry.”
The former NIMASA helmsman who is a management turnaround expert and a former member of the National Assembly stated that the maritime industry has lost a major stakeholder whose voice and opinions were widely respected beyond the shores of Nigeria.
He disclosed that the late Asoluka was at a time the chairman of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), member of Nigeria Chamber of Shipping Governing Board and the Chairman of Maritime Development Committee.
According to him, the late maritime expert was also the Legislative Adviser in the passage of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act 2007, aside other responsibilities within and outside Nigeria.
He expressed his sympathy and condolence to the family of the deceased, the people of Imo State and Nigeria over the loss of a patriotic Nigerian, who offered his expertise when called upon at various times in his illustrious career.
