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Stories by Isaac Anumihe
Stakeholders have expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari came to power.
More worrisome is the recent development where the management of the institution was sacked by the Rotimi Amaechi’s supervising ministry and imposed on the institution a crop of over 70-year-old men to manage the institution for six months- from September 2017 to February 2018.
The six-man management committee which include the former Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Adebayo Sarumi; former Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Captain Adamu Biu; former rector of the academy, Engineer Olu Akinsoji; Chairman, Starz Shipyard, Engineer Greg Ogbeifun; Mr M. Dauda of Federal Ministry of Transportation and a sideline member, Dr Kelvin Okonna from the institute are set to be managing the academy for the next six months from the Ibom Meridian Hotel in Uyo.
This committee of octogenarians who had served out their useful lives in both their private and public capacity in over five decades got the stakeholders wondering what quality of job they will perform at the institution.
Worse still, while the committee is still working, the Federal Government appointed a commodore in the Nigerian navy, Duja Effefua, as a rector to understudy the committee. The appointment prompted reactions by the students and youths who demanded a vice chancellor instead of a rector. The senate had earlier approved that the academy be elevated to a degree-awarding institute. So, the appointment of a rector is an aberration. They argue.
President, Merchant Navy Engineers, Matthew Alalade, said that the setting up of that committee was unconstitutional and unacceptable.
“The committee is not defined and it is unconstitutional. I don’t know what informed the committee. That is what is causing the confusion now” he said.
Also, a maritime analyst and a stakeholder in the institute, Mr Innocent Orok, argued that the committee’s blueprint should be made known to the management of the institute.
He also said that the committee constitutes mainly of politicians and not maritime trainers.
“Amaechi should do the right thing. The right thing is that the academy needs a vice chancellor and not a rector. Even at that, according to Amaechi, the rector’s mandate is to understudy the management committee for six months after which the rector can stand as a substantive rector.
The crux of the matter is that the management of any institution or any government parastatal is always headed by the staff of the place and board. The men are not maritime trainers. They are only fortunate to be political appointees to manage the academy.
The rector is to understudy the committee who are politicians. Where do you want to put the management of the school? The youths are demanding the blueprint of the management committee. If you are appointed to reposition the school it should be known to the management of the school. The senate has approved the upgrading of the school to a university. Will the committee’s recommendation be based on how the school will become a university? Amaechi is toeing a different line. So, if the school is to transform to a university, what is Amaechi likely to do? That is what the youth are protesting against” he said.
According to the academy’s act, for any person to be appointed a rector, he or she must have served in the academy as academic staff for not less than 15 years and rise to the position of a director. However, there is a caveat that the president has the powers to appoint a rector. This has been the bane of the institution.
The Maritime Academy, an over 40 years old institution has suffered so many political infractions and paucity of funds.
MAN was established to provide the merchant navy, the maritime industry and allied industries, qualitative education and training that accords with up-to-date technology that meets national and international standards and satisfies end-user expectations
Formerly known and addressed as the Nautical College of Nigeria, MAN was established in 1979 by the Federal Executive Conclusion No.EC.(77) 172. It was designed as an integrated institution for the education and training of shipboard officers and ratings; and shore-based management personnel. The Academy graduated its first batch of Cadets in 1983.
But it is perplexing to many a stakeholder the governments’ behaviour towards the only maritime institution in Nigeria. Apart from upgrading the faculties and infrastructure to admit and train more maritime personnel the government has turned it into a political ground where candidates are imposed on the institution for selfish reasons.
Meanwhile, students had said that they are tired of the status of the institution which awards them National diploma and Higher National Diploma (HND). They complained that most of the graduates of National Diploma cannot go further because of the absence of a national shipping line where they are expected to have a sea time training before proceeding for HND.
The result is that most of the ND holders who cannot have sea-time training end up doing some menial jobs such as okada riding, recharge card selling etc, a situation that sexed up demands for the upgrading of the academy into a university.
