Birthday Compliments: Eze Celebrates Dakuku, the Strategic Turnaround Maestro and Asita the Unassuming Silent Operator

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has joined families, friends and associates to felicitate with two eggheads of Rivers politics and archetypal progressives, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside and Barr. Asita O. Asita, as they mark the auspicious occasions of their birth, December 31st 2022.

In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, Eze said Rivers State, with a population of over six million people, is blessed in abundance with a comprehensive blend of political actors whose divergent political moorings and inclinations places the state in a pedestal of core significance in the National political playground.

Amongst the galaxy of celebrated leaders, God resolved to bless the State with extraordinary individuals who were born on the same day, though in different years and thus share the same birthday. Although they are from different wombs and belong to different cultural backgrounds and localities, the duo share similar political ideals and hold the same progressive aspirations for Rivers State and her people.

These composite gentlemen have one Political Leader, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and both speak Igbo language so fluently so much so that some natives who interact with them may feel the need to do a background check on their competence in the use of the native Ibo language.

As they are set to celebrate their unique birthday, in a few hours, I feel humbled and honoured to once again present to the world these unique twin brothers who have carved a niche for themselves in the political space and leadership sphere.

Describing as an act of God, the coincidence of their birth on same day, December 31st, Chief Eze, a respected voice from the Niger Delta region, said the birth of the two great sons of Rivers State on December 31, is a divine arrangement orchestrated to create a ‘Power Twin Brothers’ whose aspiration to transform Rivers State and catapult her to the status of the number one state in Nigeria, propelled by an innate dexterity in leadership and human management was remains a valid rallying point for people to deploy conscience in the decision of who governs them”.

In 2015 the celebrated duo were the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the APC in Rivers, but their desire to serve and provide services for the people was thwarted m by the schemes of serial wrongdoers and evil forces who conspired to rip the state and her people of the benefits of good governance.

Having taken out time to extensively study the birth, growth and political craftsmanship of the two great minds, the party Chief said he has safely concluded that with the uniqueness in the moulds of Dr. Peterside and Barr. Asita, the prospects of Rivers State are very bright regardless of the scheme to continually and forcefully keep her on the path of retrogression.

According to Chief Eze, one very striking and unique semblance in the duo whom he called ‘political twins’ is that aside sharing similar birth experience coming from their great respected families, they have very sound mastery of the political terrain in Rivers State and have the willpower to do things differently and in the right way to produce result within record time.

Chief Rt. Hon. Asita Honourable is the senior, born on 31st December 1966 to late Chief Okorie Asita (JP) of the Ugusha Royal Family of Okarki-Engenni, in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State while Dr. Dakuku Peterside was born on 31st December, 1970 to one of the most respected families of Opobo/Nkoro LGA. But to Dakuku and Asita, age is inconsequential in their relationship and dealings with each other as they share very mutual respect and work in symbiosis with the desire to produce results and make meaningful impacts in society.

Describing Asita as an exceptional gentleman who was born with royal blood and named Honourable from birth, Eze said the Orashi born Lawyer cum politician is manifestly stocked with a comparatively sound frame of mind and perception and is abundantly endowed with a good sense of quality leadership coupled with an innate capacity to deliver on any given assignment with timely results.

Asita Honourable, like Dakuku Peterside, is a proud alumnus of the Rivers State University of Science & Technology (now Rivers State University) where he studied and obtained a Law degree from 1988 — 1992. He thereafter proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, (Lagos Campus), where he graduated in flying colours in 1993 whereupon he was called to the Nigerian Bar and qualified to practice as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 1994. Asita, participated in the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Adamawa State, where he served meritoriously.

During the 2015 general elections, he emerged as the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State, with his ‘twin brother’, Dr Dakuku, as the Gubernatorial Candidate, but Senator Abe and his cohorts, working in consonance with some dark forces, connived and sabotaged the electoral chances of the All Progressives Congress and the ‘divine pair’ in the pursuit of their selfish private vendetta.

In 2007, this man of the future won election as Member, House of Representatives, representing the good people of Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency and was appointed Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics & Values and House Committee Member on Environment, Capital Markets & Institutions and Special Duties. On account of his effectiveness as a Federal Legislator, Honourable was re-elected in 2011 and appointed pioneer Chairman, House Committee on Local Content, where he played no small role in the development and promotion of the Nigerian Local Content.

In the 2019 polls, duty called again and this time, Asita was elected the Rivers West Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2019 General Elections but again, Abe and band of wrongdoers, having sworn to an oath with the devil to annihilate the APC, ensured that the dream turned out a hoarse. However Asita was appointed Board Chairman, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), where he provided leadership and broke new grounds. He served in that capacity till mid 2022 when resigned to answer the call of his people to represent them at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly. Asita is the Senatorial candidate of the APC for Rivers West District.

Eze is confident that in 2023 Asita will be elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as all the plots by Abe and his group to thwart the participation of the APC at the polls have failed like a pack of cards.

On the other hand, the party chieftain described Peterside as a celebrated icon, an enigma, a study in resoluteness, benevolence, audacity, resourcefulness, creativity, a symbol of unity, a visionary, egalitarian and, most importantly, a great patriot whose love for Nigeria and Nigerians is infectious. Eze also sees him as a bridge-builder, loyal to friendship; a force in the Maritime Industry in the entire world who became the first Nigerian to be elected by 34 countries as the President, Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA).

Eze said truly, Peterside remains a rare icon, an uncommon achiever, a world celebrated Author and a dedicated reformer.

Dr. Dakuku Peterside Obtained a Doctorate degree in Management Science (Organizational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Preceding the Doctorate degree, he attended high level management and leadership courses in the following centres of learning: Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University USA; Kellog School of Management, Chicago, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia-Atlanta; Galilee College Israel, USB Business School Stellenbosch, South Africa, amongst others. He was an outstanding student in turning around Government agencies and institutions in Galilee College, Israel.

This exceptional Rivers son is a member of Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM), Fellow Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCN) and member Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN).

Prior to his appointment as DG/ CEO of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside had been elected into the green chambers of the National Assembly (House of Representatives) and served between 2011 and May 2015 as chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) where he had the privilege to oversight strategic National Oil and Gas establishments such as Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC). He co-over sighted Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). He led other legislators to sponsor and champion the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as chairman of the Technical Committee of the House of Representatives. He presented a total of 36 scholarly papers in five countries on the reform of Oil and Gas industry and government institutions in developing countries.

Peterside emerged gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections with Asita as running mate, however, the hope of the APC to clinch victory was dashed by acts of sabotage perpetrated by internal black forces.

In March 2016, Dr. Dakuku Peterside was appointed Director General / CEO of Nigeria Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) where he proved that he is a world beater and outstanding leader.

He is a leading Columnist with the Leadership Newspapers and Author of the world celebrated book, “Strategic turnaround: Story of a government agency’. A leadership and turnaround expert, Dr. Peterside is currently a consultant to several corporate and international bodies in the areas of leadership; regulatory work and compliance and maritime industry, especially in maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, oil and gas industry and also consults for a number of private think tanks across the globe.

For turning NIMASA into a global brand, Dakuku Peterside’s political twin brother, Barr Asita O Asita, was appointed Board Chairman, NIMASA, a position he judiciously used to build on the legacies of Dr. Peterside in the federal government agency.

Given their efficiencies in service delivery, one cannot fault Rt. Hon. Dr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for recommending the duo to President Mohammadu Buhari, for appointments into positions of trust. Dakuku and Asita have continually provided answers to complex issues of public administration.

Quoting the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson who posited that the world makes way for the man who knows where he is going, Eze said although Dakuku and Asita may have suffered deprivation arising from acts of sabotage perpetrated by dark forces within the polity, providence has always directed them and the world has continued to make way for them as people of destiny.

As we approach 31st December with great honour and love, Eze called on people of goodwill all over the world to join to celebrate the birth of the political twin brothers from Rivers State and also pray for their continued rising and wellbeing.

While praying to God to shower the duo with unquantifiable blessings, enlarge their coasts, lighten their path to the future, and cause them to fulfill their vision for Rivers State and our dear country Nigeria, Eze wishes them a fun-filled, happy birthday celebration.

Ends

Signed

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,

APC Chieftain, member of APC Legacy Projects Media Team & former National Publicity Secretary, nPDP