Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has praised Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on the Blue Economy that is bound to put Nigeria on global economic relevance.
Aiyedatiwa made this statement while playing host to Engr. Olu Aladenusi, the Director, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standard, who represented NIMASA management during the presentation of relief materials to the State in Akure.
The Deputy Governor stressed that Nigeria in particular, Ondo State is blessed with acquatic resources of which the Country needs to make significant mark in Africa economically.
He said, “I commend NIMASA for the major milestones it has recorded; your strategic Blue Economy that is meant for Littoral States of which Ondo State is one of them.
“Yes, we have been engaging each other on how best we can relate, we have been having a robust conversation on the Blue Economy, and see how we can achieve the sustainable development goals in Nigeria and highlights the nexus between NIMASA and Littoral States” , he said.
Aiyedatiwa added that “the ocean economy has not been properly harnessed over the years, and with this awareness from NIMASA, as they tried to provide safety for those that will engage on ocean economy, it will definitely encourage other people to look in that direction to invest in the Blue Economy” .
The Deputy Governor equally appealed for NIMASA assistance on the issue of fire outbreak in Awoye, a community in Ilaje local government area of the state.
His words, “I want to appeal to NIMASA to come to our rescue on the fire outbreak on the marginal field of Ondo State, that has been on for the past one and half years, and the fire is still on” .
“This has been causing a lot of agitations from our people in terms of their means of livelihood that are affected in the area like Awoye and others communities in Ilaje LG”.
The Deputy Governor thereafter thanked NIMASA for the relief materials and also appreciated them for the fact that Ondo State indigenes benefited from scholarships to study Marine Courses in Higher Institutions.
While responding, NIMASA representative, Engr Olu Aladenusi, said, “at NIMASA, we have by policy integrated social, environmental and economic concerns into our operations.
“In line with this policy, the Agency as occasion demands and resources permit, delivers assistance to citizens in normal times and responds to crisis situations requiring relief materials” , he said.
Some of the relief materials delivered were Motorcycles, Clothes, Food Stuffs, Tailoring Machines, Grinding Machines, Beddings, Mattresses, etc.
Present at the event were the Deputy Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa, Permanent Secretary Office of the Deputy Governor, Gbenga Akingbasote, DFA (Office of the Deputy Governor) Oluwafemi Obideyi, Chief Public Relations Officer of NIMASA, Vincent Obia, Chief of Protocol (Office of Deputy Governor ), George Asonja and others.
