Former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, says the demise of Dr Chris Asoluka, an authority in the maritime sector, has created a huge vacuum that will take ages to fill.

Dr Peterside, who received the news with a shock, described the deceased as a “mentor supporter and adviser,” during his term as the helmsman at NIMASA.

He noted that the late Dr Asoluka represented progressive thinking and was ever willing to share his thoughts on maritime matters, just as he opened his doors for mentorship to so many people.

According to him, “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 cabotage act and strengthened its implementation. He was a policy thought leader, whose ideas shaped the Nigerian maritime industry.”

Peterside, who is a management turnaround expert and a former federal lawmaker, 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.

The former NIMASA boss added that 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.

Dr Peterside sympathised with 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.