The confusion at the Nigeria’s only International Maritime Organization (IMO) recognized institution is getting maritime stakeholders worried over the dwindling fortunes of the institution in the Buhari regime.
At present, a crop of over 70 years old men, formerly political appointees of government are managing the academy.
According to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, they will be there for the next six months till February 2018.
One may ask: What is the job of these Octogenarians who have served out their useful life in both private and public in the last seven decades in the academy ? Are they maritime trainers or academicians? What are they to implement in the academy? Why is their mission a top secret?
Why is an appointed stand by rector to take over as acting rector not resume as rector, as the institution has no rector since November 2015? Why can’t Amaechi appoint a governing board to work with the school management instead of an illegal Management Committee which has no place in the Act of the Academy?
At present the illegal six-man management committee comprising of Chief Adebayo Sarumi, former MD, NPA; Capt. Adamu Biu, former,ES, NSC; Olu Akinsoji, former Rector, MAN, Oron; Greg Ogbeifun, chairman, Starz Shipyard; Mr M Dauda of federal ministry of transports and a sideline member, Dr Kelvin Okonna, from the institution are set to be managing the academy in the next six months from the Ibom Meridian Hotel in UYO.
Our source hinted that already as at Thursday last week, the Committee had placed embargo on the academy’s account, restricting former MKPANDIOK led management not to spend a dime apart from approvals for their hotel and feeding allowances at the Meridian Hotel in UYO.
At present the academy is in confusion, as both staff and cadets are curious of what will be their faith because they don’t know the Sarumi’s committee mission in the school.
In fact even the youths of the community have vowed to restrain the committee if they don’t make it open their mission in the academy.
Stakeholders have sensed a political gang up to frustrate the institution by the Amaechi regime, which, according to them, his tenure is full of confusion and lack of direction as could be seen in MAN, Oron and CRFFN.
The Maritime Academy, an over 40 years old institution has suffered so many political infractions and paucity of funds.
It is sad that instead of subsequent government administrations to upgrade the institution with more faculties and infrastructure to admit and train more maritime personnel, it has become a political ground for policy somersault and imposition of candidates.
It is pertinent to note that repositioning of the academy needs no political jobbers, but core maritime training personnel and academicians and in doing that, the management structure of the institution should not be distorted or abolished as is enshrined in the Acts establishing it.
According to the academy’s Act, for any person to be appointed a rector, he or she might have served in the academy as academic staff for not less than 15 years and rise to the position of a director. Though, the President has his prerogative powers to appoint, this is where the various ministers derived their political manoeuvering powers to feed the president with their preferred candidates.
This has been the bane of the institution.
This is another round of confusion in the school and it may take Nigeria off the IMO White List which the academy represents.
