The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Daluku Peterside has revealed the reason why Nigeria failed to clinch a seat in the recent International Maritime Organisation (IMO) election.
The DG added that NIMASA had three man delegation to the IMO seat spending above N100 million in the process.
He told journalists at the sideline of the conference of G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea that Nigeria’s late preparation for the election cost the country the category C seat at the IMO.
Dakuku who said the country was considering the fact that Nigeria was just coming out of recession added that the country did not move from country to country to canvas for votes as it used to be on previous elections.
He said, “I don’t think I am here to reel out reasons why we lost the election but I think three reasons suffice; one is that we started late in our quest to be elected in IMO council
“Two, aside from the fact that we started fairly late, in our quest to get reelected to the council, Nigeria didn’t spend as much as other countries, we are hosting IMO event virtually every other month and for some reasons, we didn’t take that route.”
He explained that misconception about Nigeria’s fight against piracy formed part of the factors that led to Nigeria’s failure at the election.
According to him, other countries did not get accurate information of how Nigeria had faired in tackling the issue of piracy hence lack of support from other them.
