Following the death of Mr. Joshua Okpo, Rector Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has appointed Head of Personnel Department, Mr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok as the Registrar with a mandate to oversee the affairs of the academy pending the appointment of a new Rector by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mkpandiok’s appointment was sequel to a November recommendation by the late Rector requesting his confirmation as replacement to Malam Sadik Adamu, the former Registrar who retired in 2014.
At an emergency management meeting of the academy held on Wednesday afternoon, the new Registrar, Mkpandiok was announced as the man in charge in the interim.
A twist has played up in the academy as the Registrar’s wife, Mrs Arit Mkpandiok,who is the Director in charge of the academy’s School of Maritime Studies and a management staff member is also believed to be eyeing the number one seat.
The appointment of her husband as Registrar may not have only blocked her chances but will likely cause President Buhari to search for a successor outside Akwa Ibom State pursuant to government’s principle of Federal Character and regional balancing.
It may very likely be difficult for the President to appoint Mrs Mkpandiok as Rector where her husband is the Registrar.
Others believed to be eyeing the office of Rector are Dr. Egben Okore, Director School of Nautical Science; Engr. Innocent Ezeala,Director School of Marine Engineering and Dr Kevin Okonna, Director MAN Consultancy Services.
Sources at the academy disclosed that Okore retired 4 months ago having attained the age of 60 but was retained for his experience while the late Rector was seeking approval to extend academic staff years of service beyond 60 as it is obtained in other institutions of higher learning.
Ezeala is said to be on a contract and not a regular employee of the academy.
He was said to have been brought in when the school suffered a dearth of competent marine engineering lecturers due to inability to offer competitive remuneration.
Okonna who teaches physics, nautical science and maritime studies presently heads the consultancy directorate of the school.
Okonna and Mrs Mkpandiok were among 6 persons interviewed and made to undergo written tests by the Ministry of Transport in 2010 during a search for substantive Rector when Nseyen Ebong retired on completion of his two terms as Rector.
He (Okonna) had the highest score then but the selection process was marred by series of petitions and infighting among the contenders which led to the appointment of Joshua Okpo, then a Director in the ministry, to head the academy in acting capacity.
Following the confirmation of Okpo’s appointment by then President Goodluck Jonathan, all the gladiators in the struggle to be Rector went back to work, putting an end to the jostling.
Head of Public Relations for the academy Siddi Mkpandiok, in response to a media inquiry confirmed the appointment of the new Registrar.
The new Registrar, Ante Mkpandiok holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Calabar and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from same university.
Mkpandiok said, the new Registrar was until his recent appointment, the Head of Personnel and has worked in the academy for over two decades.
Discussion about this post