At the recent introduction of the governing council, Nigeria Maritime University (NMU)to the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, the Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Dr. Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, told journalists how the journey to getting the University started. He also spoke on many other sundry issues. Our Correspondent, Roland Ekama was one of the journalists who journeyed with the NIMASA delegation to Gbaramatu Kingdom where the DG opened up.
"A university is the best thing that can ever happen to a community. Locally, when you talk about Ife, it is the university that brought about the popularity to the community, if you go to Nsukka it is the same. Now Gbaramatu has also entered that list"
What is the brain behind the establishment of Nigeria Maritime University?
It was during my first visit to the State House in fulfillment of my desire to transform the maritime industry. High powered government officials were at that meeting and those in attendance include: the Secretary General of the Federation, chief of staff, the petroleum minister, minister of finance and many government officials were all in the meeting and I told the former President that day that the blue print I have for the maritime industry has been compressed into a four-point agenda. Critically these four agenda centres round human capital development. The president asked me to explain and I told him that we have a problem with human resource in the industry; which is the engine room for the industry to grow to the next level and therefore I would want to bridge this gap and what will I do to bridge the gap is to set up a maritime university.
What are the other issues you have in place, and also what role did the former president play in the creation of the school?
The next aspect of the agenda is the Cabotage regime. Even in our Cabotage regime, we have been asked or mandated to build and repair ships that can operate in our coastal waters in Nigeria and virtually the private sector is not yet keen about coming in to invest and while waiting for the private sector we must do something that can attract them and I said the management of NIMASA have decided to float a ship yard. The former President agreed to that and I also told him that a middle level management school needed to be established which is today NIMASA Science and Technical College. These are some the ideas I sold to the federal government, but again the president said that I am becoming so ambitious, that I am talking too much and the projects I have mentioned are too big because there is no money to fund the project, but again I told him that I serve a living God who has never failed me. I told him that I am not going to disappoint you (president) because sooner that I assumed office, the media said that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has appointed his brother, his kinsman, an inexperienced DG and so on. But I made a vow that I am going to tell Nigerians that it is not the size of the human that matters; what matters is the human ideas. I said I will work with management team of the agency and we are going to cause a revolution that is unprecedented in the history of the maritime industry in Nigeria. Eventually when I got all these ideas sorted in the budget with the cooperation of the National Assembly. I went back to the ex – president telling him that I am going to do A, B,C and D. He asked how is that going to be possible and I told him that it is God that will do it. I remember he also asked me what the next step is and I told him that the next step is to ensure that the projects are all approved.
How were you able to interface with the people of the community?
In between the meeting with the former president, I also interfaced with the people of the community- the elders, traditional rulers and all the opinion leaders in the community. They welcome us , they gave us the best of reception and eventually a site was conceive for the university, a consensus was agreed after engagement with the community leaders that Okerenkoko should be the place where the university be sited and because this university will be a clear departure from the conventional universities we have. We also decided to bring the shipyard close to the university for practical training; so that those that will be engaged in naval architecture will have their practical here in Gbaramatu and that is why we decided to set the university and the shipyard precisely at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu.
What are your expectations about the establishment of this university?
A university is the best thing that can ever happen to a community. Look at the world over; all communities in world are identified with the universities; if you talk about Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and Yale. Locally, when you talk about Ife, it is the University that brought about the popularity to that community, if you go to Nsukka it is the same. Now Gbaramatu has also entered that list. This university is also going to be a clear departure from conventional universities because of its para-military nature. It is going to be a centre for excellence, it is going to be devoid of strike activities, it is going to be devoid of intrigues, it is going to attract the best of human resources from all parts of the world; it is going to be affiliated and linked with the world best maritime universities. The federal government and NIMASA are going to be of assistance to the university for rapid development and personally, I am going to assist this university, whether in the capacity of DG NIMASA or as an ordinary person or somewhere else where God may take me. I will continue to stand by the university and make sure it succeeds.
Tell us about the investment in the university?
Of course investment in the university and the shipyard are far above hundred billions of dollars and it happens to be a very tough battle getting money to fund these projects, even at some point in time the ex-president became worried about funding, but I told him that we are going to get the money to fund this project, assuring him that we are not going to fail him. Eventually, when the ex-president realised our determination in spite of the trials and obstacles; I approached him to further motivate us and that was how he came to Gbaramatu to come and flag-off the project and even spent some time with us.
How about the ongoing construction work at the sites?
Construction work is ongoing at the permanent site of the university; we have been able to acquire a temporary site for the university to take-off and of course the day the ex-president came, we took him to the temporary site that we were about to acquire then, he saw the place and he was marveled at the structure on ground. However, when the proposals were made to him for approval of the temporary centre, he gave all the blessings that we never anticipated; we were surprised at the speed at which he approved the matter. Today, after God, it is President Goodluck Jonathan; our past president. He did all these for us, in all the engagements and hard work over this university, the scholarship programme, we are anchoring, the NIMASA Science and Technology College in Okoloba and the shipyard project, the former president has given us unprecedented support and that is the motivation that brought these projects to the level it is now.
What is the level of progress recorded for the dockyard or shipyard?
As we speak, in the shipyard and dockyard there are two components which are been built outside the country and it has gone into an advance stage. The entire dockyard is going to be completed oversea and will be taken into Nigeria and that is ongoing.
What other areas were explored shortly after the presidential election?
Shortly after the elections came, we have to work very fast to ensure that this university starts academic studies, I went back to him, telling him that he has done all what it takes for the university to start, but there is one thing the president has to do, which is the need to appoint a management team, including, the vice chancellor, registrar, librarian, bursar and other members of the management team and in less than two days the former president did it without a second thought. I also advised him to take a step further by appointing a governing council which he also did. And I am happy that the governing council is headed by somebody who is familiar with the terrain, an erudite professor, with vast experience that has transversed all part of the world, she has been a public figure, a former minister of foreign affairs and also in ministry of education; thus her exposures are very vast and when she was announced as pro chancellor, I said God has done the ultimate job. Which means this university is good to go.
What also informed the visit to Delta State Governor?
I quickly called on some opinion leaders of this clan and told them that this development has taken place within one week; therefore we need to expedite actions for academic programme to start as soon as possible. We also decided that we need to share the idea with the dynamic governor of Delta State who is distinguish Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, we need to give him the respect he deserves as the governor of the state where the university is located and the first point of call is to go back to our governor and tell him about the school and that we have been able to bring A, B,C, D to the state, but precisely the university and we feel that we should give him a courtesy call he deserve before we proceed to Gbaramatu Kingdom so that we can associate the members of the governing council and management team with the elders and people of Gbaramatu Kingdom for them to interface with them and that is precisely why we come to Delta State.
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