Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and current Senator representing Akwa Ibom South senatorial district, Senator Nelson Effiong has disclosed that the federal government is set to upgrade the forty year Maritime Academy of Nigeria,(MAN)Oron, Akwa Ibom state to a degree awarding institution.
This is line with the passage of the bill by the NSenate for the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron to be upgraded to the Federal University of maritime studies, Oron (FUMSO).
Senator Effiong said President Muhammadu Buhari will soon release an executive order pronouncing the lift of the institution to a university status.
The senator added that, “the federal government has consequently begun a process of appointing a vice chancellor to head the proposed university as three prominent scholars in the Maritime industry, including an Oro-born Akwa Ibom son, are currently being screened by government officials for the top job.”
Effiong disclosed this weekend while addressing the Paramount Ruler of Urue Offong/Oruko, local government area, Akwa Ibom state, His Royal Majesty, Effiong Robin Amasi. He said he sponsored the FUMSO bill which was passed in 2017, however regretted the delay by the honorable members of the House of Representatives to give life to the bill for easy concurrent and subsequent assent by the President.
He explained that having been a parliamentarian all his life, he has sponsored well over eight bills at the Senate on different sociopolitical and economic relevance to his constituents.
Recall that at last year’s Passing Out Parade (POP) and Graduation Ceremony for the academy’s cadets, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration; Mohammed Umar Bago had revealed that a Bill that will transform MAN, Oron into a degree awarding university is currently before the National Assembly.
According to Bago, who was represented by the Committee’s Deputy Chairman, Adeolu Solomon , “ there is a Bill at the moment before the National Assembly, a Bill to establish the Maritime University, Oron. The Bill, when passed, will transform this academy into a degree awarding institution”.
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