The Federal Government is mulling scrapping the Maritime University located in Okerenkoko in Delta State, Shipping Position Daily has confirmed.
Informed sources told one of our correspondents last week that the Federal Ministry of Transport has been directed to commence series of actions that will lead to the scrapping of the Maritime University.
The ground-breaking ceremony of the University was performed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in May 10, 2014.
The Federal Government is mulling scrapping the Maritime University located in Okerenkoko in Delta State, Shipping Position Daily has confirmed.
Informed sources told one of our correspondents last week that the Federal Ministry of Transport has been directed to commence series of actions that will lead to the scrapping of the Maritime University.
The ground-breaking ceremony of the University was performed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in May 10, 2014.
A colossal N50Billion was also committed to it, while a Vice Chancellor, Registrar and other functionaries have also been appointed.
Our source confirmed that the recent constitution of s committee to verify all projects, top among which is the Nigerian Maritime University, NIMASA Shipyard and Dockyard and the NIMASA Science and Technical College as well as the permanent sites of the six Institutes of Maritime Studies in six Nigerian Universities.
Apart from this, some sources informed our correspondent that, the NIMASA National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) has been roundly criticised for turning out cadets with no hope for seas time or employment.
A source told our correspondent that the failure of the NSDP to be futuristic has added to the hopelessness of its beneficiaries. The source added that, “what government is thinking is that, rather than establish maritime university, existing institutions would be fortified and equipped, while the maritime industry is galvanised to create opportunities for new entrants into seafaring.
Apparently giving a hint as to why the University has to go, a top official at the Ministry of Transport told Shipping Position Daily that, “of what use is a University when there are maritime institutions that are producing graduates and the products have no job. The Maritime University is an ethic project, it is drain pipe”.
Even though the committee’s findings about the projects being investigated has not made its findings public, there are snippets that it discovered monumental fraud bordering on inflated contract value.
And, in anticipation of the impending government action, Ijaw youths also last week raised an alarm, and accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to kill the University. They also specifically alleged that recent policies of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have crippled the expected take-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko and the NIMASA Science and Technical College, Okoloba, both in Delta State.
The Ijaw youths, under the umbrella of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), in a statement issued by its spokesman; Eric Omare, accused the NIMASA administration of alleged political victimisation and deliberately issuing order against the continued funding of the Maritime University and the NIMASA Science and Technical College.
They added that: “President Buhari’s administration has ordered all ongoing projects, programmes and the take-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko to be stopped, whereas other tertiary institutions in other parts of the country where maritime programmes are being sponsored by NIMASA are allowed to continue.
“These institutions are Ibrahim Babangida University, Niger State, University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology, Gombe and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the approval for the maritime programmes in these institutions were given at the same time with the Maritime University, Okerenkoko”.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that, NIMASA has been directed to stop funding both the University and the Technical College, while admission processes into the two institutions have been stopped.
Discussion about this post