TheCable

Dakuku Peterside, candidate of candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Rivers state governorship election, was appointed director-general/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday.

Here are seven things to know about the new NIMASA helmsman, who takes over from Haruna Baba Jauro with immediate effect.

FULL NAME

You know him simply as Dakuku Peterside, but he was born Warisenibo Dakuku Adolphus Peterside. He is a native of Opobo Kingdom from Opobo-Nkoro local government area of the state. In fact, he is the Amaopusenibo of the kingdom.

EDUCATION

Peterside holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree in management sciences (organisational behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt with an MBA in business administration and bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory Sciences (B.MLS) in haematology both from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

TRAINING

He has also attended high-level management training at prestigious institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Kellog School of Management Chicago, J. Mark Robinson College of Business Atlanta-Georgia all in in the United States, as well as the Galilee College in Israel amongst others.

AMAECHI’S ANCHOR

Peterside has a special relationship with Rotimia Amaechi, who was governor of the state for eight years. Between 2007 and 2011, he served twice as commissioner for works. His personal website credits him as having anchored Amaechi’s “phenomenal transformation of roads and infrastructural landscape of Rivers state”.

CHIEFTAINCY TITLES EVERYWHERE

Peterside is well-respected in his home state – so well that he has been offered more chieftaincy titles than he can handle! He has, at various times, turned down at least 14 chieftaincy titles – as well as several honorary doctorate degrees and awards.

ANTI-CORRUPTION LAWMAKER

In 2011, he was elected to represent Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro federal constituency in the federal house of representatives, where he chaired the committee on the petroleum resources (downstream). He also served in the committee on Anti-corruption, national ethics and values, among others.

COMMITTED CHRISTIAN

Born on December 31, 1970, Peterside is married to Elima, a lawyer and they are blessed with three children: Soba, Belema and Miebi. He describes himself as “a committed Christian who believes his relationship with Jesus Christ is what gives meaning to life”.