By Joseph Atainyang
All arrangements are currently undergoing concluding formalities to
confirm that the high hopes of Nigerians in the Niger-Delta, Akwa Ibom
State and most espacially the Oron Nation would soon be met as the
expantant upgrading of the status of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron
to something more profitable seems just a "tick of the second".
As soon as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari was said to
have approved the 'almost controversial' establishment of the Maritime
University in Okoronkoku, Delta State, as previously facilitated by the
administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and that of the Maritime
Academy, Oron to a Maritime University (as part of the measures to curb
militancy in the oil region, as captured by reports), the Minister of
Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, appointed a 7-Man
committee for the restructuring of the institution.
Although the
ministerial committee has been seen as long overdue, as far as the state
of affairs of the school is taken into cognisance, it was seen as also
raising tension in some quarters, making it seem as if there were some
persons who were directly targeted. Away from this, the absolute
sincerity of the committee, headed by competent, well versed and trusted
personnel in the maritime sector was also to be expected.
The
Chairman of the committee, Chief Adebayo Sarumi during the first and
second visit to the Academy, in which major decisions were taken,
emphasised the need to hold on to the dreams of the founding fathers of
the Academy, and ensure that it becomes reality.
Concerning the
mandate of the Committee, Sarumi hinted that the main objectives of the
Committee included advising the Federal Government on the repositioning
of the Academy to enable it attain optimal training capacity; recommend
appropriate measures to be taken by the Federal Government to upgrade
the Academy to a world class institution and maintain the standard of
training and certification that would effectively serve both the local
and international needs of the maritime industry.
He praised the
ingenuity of the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi
Amaechi at constituting the technical committee and therefore called on
the Management of the institution to put forward a position paper
reflecting the technical and administrative challenges of the
institution. Chief Sarumi also called for the shunning of all
dispassionate and primordial tendencies by all parties, for the
betterment of the institution and the nation’s maritime sector.
On his part, the Acting Rector, Pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok had intimated
the Committee on his administration’s efforts towards tackling some of
the institution’s problems since he assumed office in acting capacity,
while stating the major challenges militating against the development of
the Academy to include lack of Sea Berths for Cadets’ Sea-Time
Experience, inadequate funding in securing and sustaining qualified
professionals and lack of relevant educational facilities for the
training of Cadets.
The Ag. Rector appealed to the Committee to
use their good position to impress on Non-governmental and Governmental
Agencies, other maritime organisations to help the Academy in form of
donations, and pleaded the Federal Government to formulate policies that
would encourage Shipping companies operating in the territorial waters
of the country to accept Cadets on-board their vessels.
Again,
emerging indications overflog the information space as to why Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo overruled the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi
on the need to continue with the process of building and completing the
controversial Nigeria Maritime
University, sited in Gbaramatu,
Delta State, which in face value, seem completely militating against the
fortunes of upgrading the premier Maritime institution in Oron to
either a full-fledge Maritime University or to a Degree awarding
institution.
A conrete research shows that this came as a result
of President Buhari's determination to bring calmness to the Niger Delta
region, as he was very well briefed by the Minister for Niger Delta,
Ibe Kachiku.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brig.
Gen. Paul Boroh, who in a recent report, was seen commending Buhari for
the gesture, said the President also directed that everything be done
to ensure that the Nigeria Maritime
University commenced operations in the 2017/2018 academic year.
Boroh whose comments were contained in a message sent to Journalists,
by the Media and Communication Consultant of Presidential Amnesty
Programme, Owei Lakemfa, same week the Vice President concluded his Town
Hall tour of the region, called on the National Assembly to pass the Nigeria Maritime University Bill, to ensure that the scheduled date for the take-off of the University was met.
Of course, it could be recalled, that the bill had passed Second
Reading, as was sponsored by Senators Nelson Effiong (Akwa Ibom South),
and James Manager (Delta South), respectively. Effiong’s Bill seeks to
upgrade the existing Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron to a
University, while that of Manager seeks to establish a Maritime
University in Okerenkoko.
Similarly, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Akwa Ibom State government were among critical
stakeholders that continued to express their support for the
establishment of two maritime universities for the country.
NIMASA in a
statement by its Head, Corporate Communication, Mr. Isichie Osamgbi, few
weeks back, denied a press statement by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC),
which insinuated that the agency was opposed to the establishment of the
Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government
Area, Delta State.
Also, the Akwa Ibom State government and the
Host Communities of MAN, Oron, had during a Public Hearing held by the
Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND penultimate week,
maintained that they were anxiously looking forward to the establishment
of the two maritime universities.
This came as the President of the
Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki who was represented at the public
hearing by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, said that
the 8th Senate was committed to ensuring speedy passage of the two bills
for the establishment of the Maritime University of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa
Ibom State and the Maritime University of Nigeria, Okerenkoko, Delta
State; to further boost the nation’s capacity to exploit its maritime
potentials.
Saraki noted that the NIMASA has revealed that
Nigeria needs about 29,000 seafarers to achieve her current local
industry capacity needs, saying, “The Nigeria Senate is sensitive to the
social and economic plight of the people of the Niger Delta region, and
determined to address these challenges through meaningful developmental
projects, hence the 8th Senate is committed to ensuring passage of the
bills for the establishments of the two maritime universities to assuage
some of the problems in the area”.
As the Chairman, Senate
Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Barau Jibrin
noted, "The committee will make sure that the two maritime universities
are fully established with an enabling law."
He said his colleagues who
sponsored the two bills, Senator James Manager for the Okerekoko
University and Senator Nelson Effiong for MAN, Oron have carried out
intensive legislative lobbying to persuade their colleagues to support
these bills as such his committee called for the public hearing to get
more inputs for the two bills to be passed into law.
However,
speaking on the bill for an Act for the establishment of Maritime
University of Nigeria Oron, former Senator Anietie Okon said that the
proposed name for MAN, Oron was Federal University of Maritime Studies,
Oron and not Maritime University of Nigeria, Oron as proposed in the
bill.
He also said that if smaller countries like Phillipines, Korea,
Singapore, etc. with lower populations could have more Maritime
Institutions, then Nigeria with over 180 million people needs more
maritime universities.
Also contributing, the president of MAN, Oron
Alumni Association, Mr. Austin Umezurike advised that it is better for
MAN, Oron to be upgraded into a degree awarding institution, so as not
to loss the professional aspect of maritime training as enshrined in the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Merchant Navy Act,
which provides for professional training offered by the Academy.
Accordingly, Governor Udom Emmanuel, during the Town Hall addressed by
the Vice President in Akwa Ibom State, aptly adopted the demands made by
Chief Essien Ndueso, former Minister for Lands and Housing; and
Otuekong Idonesit Nkanga, former Military Governor of the State, that
Akwa Ibom State was demanding among others, that the Maritime Academy of
Nigeria, Oron be upgraded to a degree awarding institution, as well as
the completion of the East-West Road.
To the Council of Oro
Traditional Rulers (COTR), it is important to upgrade the institution to
a degree awarding institution. A position paper submitted by the royal
fathers during the ministerial committee's visit reads thus in parts.
"Our plea to this committee and other relevant authorities is that Oro
people are once again united in the support for the demand of the
conversion of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron into the
University/Degree awarding institution.
This will bring the Academy at
par with with its counterparts in Ghana/Egypy which are already serving
as further training centres for the Academy's Cadets."
Meanwhile,
the Oron Union President General, Dr. Effiong Edunam said the Union was
in full support of the Maritime University Bill currently being
considered by the Senate as sponsored by the distinguished Senator
Nelson Effiong. He believes that the Maritime University shall be of
greater benefit to the generality of Nigerian populace.
However, on the
argument that the Maritime University may rob the institution the
professional know-how of effectively training Marine experts as
originally envisaged at the time of the Academy's establishment, the PG
said government should begin to show commitment in providing the
necessary facilities so that such professional fitness could still be
accommodated in the proposed Maritime University.
Just in the
same way, the immediate past President General of Oron Union, Engr
(Chief) Asuquo Inuikim Obon opins that two options were available for
choice.
According to him, it is either the option of Maritime University
was considered, or that of simply upgrading the existing Maritime
Academy to a Degree awarding institution.
Here, he warns that care must
be taken so as not to negatively influence the funding system of the
school. In his observation, if it is awarded a university status, it
would likely be funded by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) which
makes it stand the risk of poor funding as obtainable in the
conventional university funding system by the same commission.
The PG emeritus warns that stakeholders must know what they want so that
the principal purpose of Maritime education would not be defeated.
He
prefers a situation where the Academy retains its funding system with
the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),
stressing that just as the Alvan Ikoku College of Education in Owerri
was Degree awarding, as a College, the upgrade of the existing Maritime
Academy of Nigeria Oron to a Degree awarding institution would better
make it escape the danger of poor funding, while still being able to
award Degrees to its trainees.
On her own, the Oron Youth
Movement (OYOM) whose imput was sent through its Secretary General,
Comrade Eyo Eyo has this to say.
"OYOM's position on the proposed
Maritime University remains stackly unchanged and sacrosanct. We have
written various letters to the Minister of Transportation in Abuja, the
Senate, and the Presidency on the above subject matter and we got
replies conveying their assurances.
We therefore, urge you to
discountenance any perverted or purportedly sponsored impersonations
which may have a different stance from this."
The question is,
which of these available alternatives has more potential benefits to
offer both members of the host community who sacrifised a lot in terms
of "almost excessive donation of lands", without due compensation, for
the expansion and upgrade of the Academy and the generality of the
Nigerian populace?
This is when Edwin Ebieme, an Oro-born scholar
currently doing his Doctorate research in the University of Uyo has
something to say.
"Maritime University is what we have been anticipating
for a long time. But, we should not only concentrate with Maritime
curriculum which mostly embraces the Marine Engineering Faculty, we
should rather stretch for the expansion of the curriculum so that
conventional courses could be run for the people of the area to also go
in and study.
Maritime University should only apply by name, but the
curriculum should be open to accommodate universal courses for the
betterment of all."
Considering the mission of the committee
which includes advising the Federal Government on the repositioning of
the Academy to enable it attain optimal training capacity; recommending
appropriate measures to be taken by the Federal Government to upgrade
the Academy to a world class institution and maintaining the standard of
training and certification that would effectively serve both the local
and international needs of the maritime industry, one then sees that the
Federal Government of Nigeria actually mean well for the institution.
Meanwhile, the Acting Rector, Pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok had decried
the lack of Sea Berths for Cadets’ Sea-Time Experience, inadequate
funding in securing and sustaining qualified professionals and lack of
relevant educational facilities for the training of Cadets.
He also had
appealed to the Ministerial Committee to use their good position to
impress on Non-governmental and Governmental Agencies, other maritime
organisations to help the Academy in form of donations, impressing on
the Federal Government to formulate policies that would encourage
Shipping companies operating in the territorial waters of the country to
accept Cadets on-board their vessels.
All these put side by
side, and painstakingly perused together with the Bill currently being
considered by the Senate, show that, in a matter of days or weeks, an
official statement will be made and the fortunes of MAN Oron shall be
all-encompassing in changing for the better.
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