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From Isaac Job, Uyo
The federal government has appointed Dr Kevin Okonna as Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, in Akwa Ibom State.
The Head of Public Affairs Department Domo Umoekpe in a statement made available to Daily Sun in Uyo on Sunday disclosed that Okonna replaced Retired Commodore Duja Effedua who resigned as Rector of the premier Maritime institution recently.
Umoekpe explained that the appointment of Okonna was contained in a letter signed by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adeghoyega Oyetola urging the new Acting Rector to bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new assignment.
The statement reads in parts:
“The Federal Government has appointed Dr. Kevin Okonna as the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria. This appointment comes in the wake of the exit of the former Rector, Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd), following a remarkable tenure of development at the Academy.
“In a letter from the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola CON, the Federal Government urged Dr. Okonna to bring his extensive wealth of experience in the maritime sector to bear on his new role, including providing the required leadership for a seamless transition in the status of the Academy, as directed by the Federal Government.
Okonna ; a distinguished maritime scholar with about three decades of dedicated service to the Academy holds impressive educational and professional credentials from recognised national and international institutions as well as alumnus of the World Maritime University (WMU) Malmo, Sweden.
“Having risen through the ranks, he has served the Academy in various capacities including, pioneer Head of Maritime Safety Department, pioneer Director of the defunct MAN Consultancy Services, pioneer Director of Strategy, Research and Development Directorate and pioneer Coordinator of the expanded Specialized Seafarers Training Centre.
“As a distinguished member of the Nautical Institute (NI), UK, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Dr. Okonna has contributed immensely to the development of the Academy”.
Umoekpe listed contributions of the new Acting Rector to the development of the Academy to include active participation development of the institution, accreditation and delivery of several specialized seafarers courses, research initiatives, and fostering industry partnerships.
“The World Maritime University alumnus has also played pivotal roles in representing the Academy in several Federal Government Committees, including the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the International Maritime Organization Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) audit of Nigeria in 2016 and the Federal Government’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) to restructure and reposition the Academy for better service delivery from September 2017″.
She said Okonna has expressed gratitude to God and the Federal Government for his appointment and promised to put in his best to deliver on the responsibilities assigned to him.
“The Academy has been at the forefront of quality training of maritime professionals and we are deeply committed to the strategic vision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the able leadership of His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, to transform Nigeria into a global maritime powerhouse and to secure its position at the forefront of global blue economic growth in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
She maintained that Okonna has shown strong commitment to sustain and attract more developments to the Academy.
“I am determined to work tirelessly for the greater and sustainable development of the Academy while at the same time providing the required leadership during this period of transition in the status of the Academy, as directed by the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.
