By Ife Osemedua
The public presentation of the book, “Strategic Turnaround”, authored by former member of the House of Representatives and former Director-General (DG), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has been postponed.
‘Strategic Turnaround, the story of a Government Agency’, chronicles the transformation of NIMASA under the watch of Dr. Peterside, who was its DG from 2016 to 2020.
The event which was billed to come with a public lecture to commemorate Dakuku’s 50th birthday, was earlier scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
According to the organisers, in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday January 20, 2021, the event would now hold on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at the same venue.
The statement attributed the postponement to the recent increase in the cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“After extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, we reached the decision as part of measures to curtail the rising cases of the new wave of infections of the Covid-19 pandemic as the list of confirmed attendees was already in excess of the allowable limit dictated by the protocols put in place by the Presidential Task Force (PTF).
“The Pubic Lecture organised by the Development and Leadership Institute (DLI) Business Day and Leadership newspapers is titled ‘Security and Economic Growth: Leadership in Challenging Times’ and would be delivered by Professor Umaru Zulum, Governor of Borno State.
“The Joint Organising Committee has been closely monitoring the outlook of the Nation’s Covid-19 trajectory, and how it would likely impact the event. It has therefore become evident that this event would not hold as earlier scheduled and the inconveniences are highly regretted.
“Given the number of confirmations of participation received and the sheer interest generated in this book, this postponement has been a truly difficult decision to make. Nonetheless, we recognise that it is the most responsible option at such a time. We sincerely apologize to all those who have already made travel plans.
“We wish to thank everyone who has supported us right from the start, especially those who have already pre-ordered copies. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you at the event on Thursday March 25.”