Francis Omotosho (S.A To ANLCA President on Research)
Francis Omotosho (S.A To ANLCA President on Research)
There is no need to scrap any maritime university in the country for now, what government can do is just to work on the university as well as the existing ones and see how they can make it work perfectly. As it is now, we don't have enough academies or even a university, we need as many of them as possible, you are aware that about N50billion was splashed on this Nigerian Maritime University, this is the more reason why we cannot afford to waste that money by scrapping it or anyone else. Even the NSDP programme, I don't think it should be stopped, my opinion is that more academies should be formed so that there would be competition, even MAN Oron that government has been spending money on, have they been able to meet up the target? For us to get the best out of these academies, there must be competition.
Capt Ade Olopoenia (President, Master Mariners Association)
There are criteria for establishing an institution, if the Nigerian Maritime University does not meet the criteria, then actions needs to be taken, if the school has not followed due process and government decides to scrap it, then it is up to them, but the most important thing is that we should be talking about the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, the academy is there lacking facilities and lecturers, government should look at the way the academy is being run at the moment, they should upgrade the facilities and let the institution play its rightful role as the primary maritime training institution in Nigeria.
Eugene Nweke (Nat. President, NAGAFF)
Government cannot say they want to scrap that university, we need such a technical outfit as a nation, the maritime university is ideal, it will complement what we have already, after all we call ourselves a big maritime nation in Africa, but yet Ghana is? having a regional maritime university, but we can allow Ghana to be regional and let us have more maritime universities, over time, the efficiency will be achieved and we will find out that other African nations, instead of going to Ghana will come to Nigeria. So, we would not look at the errors of Akpobolokemi, those that he did with good intentions should be sustained, I don't belong to the school of thought that says if an administrator makes a mistake, his good plans should be thrown away, a huge money has been invested in that maritime university and the country cannot just scrap it and throw it away, what they need to do is to review it, consolidate on it and get it working.
Tunji Obagbo (Instructor, POTEMAN)
?The establishment of the maritime university from inception looks very political, it was cited at Okerenkoko in Delta State, the NIMASA Technical College, and the ship building and ship repair yard was also cited in Okerenkoko, this is very awkward, they should have spread it across probably Lagos State, Ondo State, Abia or Rivers state. When we have not upgraded MAN Oron, why are we developing another university, irrespective of the amount government has spent on this university, who are we going to put there? The ones we have at Oron, we have not gotten anything out of it, then why are we establishing another one, we should not be wasting our resources, government should use the land for another purpose, we are expecting deep sea ports all over the country, we are expanding our coast, hence the land can be used for any other purpose. We have private academies across the country and there is no grant of any kind from government to assist them, and yet they are assisting government to develop capacity, why should government now waste resources on this maritime university.
Julius Eforkpo (Secretary Gen Merchant Navy)
I don't subscribe to the scrapping of maritime university in Delta State because establishment of such a school is to train mariners locally instead of the government sending them abroad which I know cost more. With the university in place to issues bothering on youth restiveness in the region will be addressed and it will also boost manpower development in the country. The establishment of the school will also positively address issues relating to amnesty. However in my personal view the government don't need to scrap the university rather it will serve as a continuation of maritime education locally.
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