BY  GLADYS  NWEKE
The Director General of  the Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency [NIMASA]  Dr  Dakuku Peterside  has  charged the media
on fair and balance reportage  of  economic activities  noting that
they play  a vital role to the growth and development  of the economy.
The  DG  who stated this at the weekend when  Management of Bond FM
Lagos led by Engineer Bamidele Dada paid a courtesy call to the agency
also enjoined them to use their medium to  embark on an enlightenment
campaign on the benefits accruable to the nation through a virile
Maritime  industry.
‘lately we are working on the possibility of Rebranding NIMASA  and
part of the findings  is that very few  Nigerian understand  the role
we play as a  regulatory  agency, and so we enjoin  you to use your
medium to  educate  Nigerians  about the things we do in NIMASA.  BY
the little things we do , we  contribute so much to the growth of the
Maritime industry and by extension  the economy of the country  where
we are major players.  Everyday we are looking for avenues to ensure
that more Nigerians get involved in the Maritime Industry’.
While pledging support for the  Media  Dr Peterside  appealed to
practitioners to always  engage in constructive reportage  of the
Maritime  sector . in his words  ‘the media shapes peoples
understanding  of events , lets not use the media for negative
influence on the masses , lets use the media to serve  as facilitator
of economic  re engineering in our country’.
Earlier in his remark the  leader of the delegation , Engineer
Bamidele Dada  lauded the re branding initiative of the agency  in
repositioning the  Maritime Industry for  greater efficiency. He also
expressed willingness of Bond FM  to partner the Agency  on a major
enlightenment campaign  on maritime activities  a hub in Africa’s
Maritime industry.
It will be recalled  that the DG in a new year message to stakeholder
in the industry  assured of a more  robust and business friendly
maritime environment in 2017.