In this interview, Rector, Stars Maritime Academy; Dr. Reuben Ovai, recently fielded questions from our correspondent, Roland Ekama. The interaction focused on recent allegations leveled against private maritime schools in Nigeria, in which they were referred to as illegal.
Recently, the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners alleged that all private maritime schools in the country are illegal, what is your reaction to that as the Rector, Stars Maritime Academy?
In this interview, Rector, Stars Maritime Academy; Dr. Reuben Ovai, recently fielded questions from our correspondent, Roland Ekama. The interaction focused on recent allegations leveled against private maritime schools in Nigeria, in which they were referred to as illegal.
Recently, the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners alleged that all private maritime schools in the country are illegal, what is your reaction to that as the Rector, Stars Maritime Academy?
Going by the article I saw in the newspapers that private maritime schools are illegitimate, to me that sends a wrong information to the general public and I think the word ‘illegal’ is just too heavy in that context. To my own definition illegitimate is anything that comes into existence without proper legal system. The truth of the matter is that if I read on newspapers that some schools are illegal in their existence, I don't think I will send my children to such schools. Again the responsibility of sending a school to IMO has nothing to do with any association, but that of a government body that is corresponding with IMO, which is supposed to be NIMASA. The agency of government is supposed to compile the list of all maritime institutions in Nigeria, and then forward it to IMO and not individual maritime institutions, doing such. I believe that the master mariners are misinformed about our private maritime schools, I will also say they are ignorant in that regard as well, because I have the Act that established NIMASA and there is nowhere it is stated in the Act that they have the right to accredit any maritime institutions. It is just that NIMASA is taking too much responsibility that is not supposed to be for them. For instance if NIMASA issues a diploma certificate to the Nigerian youths; can such a person use that diploma to attend any higher institution in the country? As public figures, I think we should be mindful of some of our statement because in Nigeria the federal government is not foolish to have set up Federal ministry of education and do you also know that the federal ministry of education is part of the educational arm of the United Nation? Thus whatsoever they approve means that the same school is recognized by the United Nations education arm which is UNESCO. So those master mariners have no right to come out and say things that will misinform the general public. As we speak, the IMO is under United Nations, so what is the problem with the master mariners. Is there any procedure that each maritime academy must comply with to become recognized by IMO? And if there is, I would like to know the standard and requirements. I still maintain that these statements are unequivocally misinforming to the generality of the masses, because they have the right to know the truth even though some private schools are not duly registered by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), but there are genuinely registered and approved private maritime schools like ours and others.
Tell us about Stars Maritime Academy, what is unique about it?
Stars Maritime Academy is the first private maritime school to be registered and approved by the NBTE and the Ministry of Education which also approved Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, Akwa Ibom State. The license to operate as an academy was issued by the former Minister of education, Professor Rukkayat, as well as the Executive Secretary of NBTE. The course curriculum we run was also developed by NBTE, which is the authourised body that approves Polytechnics and Monotechnics in Nigeria. Stars Maritime Academy is also included in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) list, which is the recognised body in the country for admission into tertiary institutions. Presently, the school runs three courses; namely: shipping management, nautical sciences and marine engineering. The school is also an employer of labour, and it is located in Ogun State. However, NIMASA is not an academic accrediting body in Nigeria’s educational system, but a regulator in the practice of maritime profession. It will interest us to know that when the present Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi assumed office newly, he visited other maritime nations to get himself abreast of what other countries are practicing, he was quoted by one of the print media after his visit to Philippines to have said that he discovered that they have about 43 maritime schools, in that country, among which only three are owned by the government of the country. This obviously translates to the enormous manpower development in that country as far as maritime is concerned. Some years after, I wonder how such has translated to the development of the maritime sector in Nigeria. Instead of his encouragement to the genuine and duly registered maritime institutions with the federal ministry of education and NBTE, the reverse is the case.
Do you think MAN Oron alone can satisfy the need for maritime education in the country?
It’s impossible, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom state came into being when Nigeria’s population was less than 100 million, but today the population is over 180 million and MAN Oron alone cannot satisfy the demand for maritime education. So please let's give others a chance to assist and satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians, in the area of capacity building for the industry. Unfortunately the pull-down syndrome is very common in Nigeria. People come on air to make statements with facts and figures which are not properly verified upon. There is an authourised body in the country for educational matters, and people don't care to verify from them before running to the press. We will not hesitate to take legal action against any person, organisation or association that henceforth embarks on such act. We have a lot of private Universities side by side government Universities and that of the Polytechnics as well .So why must our sector be an exception, what is so special in the maritime sector that some set of people are playing unnecessary politics. Why can't we appreciate ourselves?
Don't you think there should be a synergy between NBTE and NIMASA as regards the issues of accreditation?
Initially when NIMASA came up with accreditation of maritime academies ; Stars Maritime Academy wrote to NIMASA in 2005, before proceeding to NBTE for accreditation ,by then Captain Olopoeniyan was in the safety department of the agency and I remember we were told plainly that NIMASA cannot accredit SMA. I also remember one Captain Balogun who gave me the verdict as at then, he also told me that it is the responsibility of NBTE. When I went to NBTE, I still made a strong case about accreditation and they were furious about the whole issue. They told me that the issue of academy accreditations and approval is the sole responsibility of NBTE and National Universities Commission (NUC) as the case maybe; which are under the Federal Ministry of education still they said that NIMASA is like any other agencies of government that is in charge of that domain. Now in all of this, I would want to know where a master mariner becomes an educationist, who will now dictate how an educational organisation should be registered or accredited.
Would you say SMA is being marginalised by NIMASA?
We are not marginalised by anybody, rather I will say we are recognised by the federal government, because as I am talking to you, the body that accredits this school at regular interval send inspectors to the school to see things for themselves and it is also the same body that recommend our school to JAMB and recently we got some number of students from JAMB to study various maritime courses here. So in what way will I say we are being marginalised, when the concerned body is taking good care of us; moreover our graduates are accepted for direct entry in the universities, so how are we marginalised?
Apart from Stars Maritime Academy which has taken a stand to say it is not all maritime academies that are illegal, what is the position of other schools in this?
First of all I want to correct an impression, I am not saying that there are no illegal maritime academies in the country neither are we quarreling with the closure of illegal schools just like what happened in Kogi state, but what some of us are saying is that the blanket statement directed to all private maritime academies is what we frown at. Now to respond to your question, I think some of the licensed private maritime institutions have been trying their best to come together and in fact, there is an ongoing consultation for them to form for them to form an association in other to respond to similar issues. But as the foremost private maritime academy, we owe it a duty to brief the press pending the formation of that association.
What is your take on the move by the Federal Government to float a new national shipping line?
My advice to the federal government is that the re floating of a national carrier should be based on Public Private Partnership basis because it will enable the private sector to have a say. Moreover the private sector can also say ‘no’ when the usual government bureaucracy will come in to crumble to the idea of the shipping line. The truth about everything here is that in the world over, government is never a good businessman, in Malta for instance, their ports are being managed by the private sector and even in Nigeria, concession has made the difference.
Discussion about this post