By Valentine Amanze
Online Editor
Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has donated the state-owned Marine University, which is still under construction at Ossemotor in Oguta council, to the Nigeria Navy. He said that the university would be useful to the Naval Command and to the society at large.
The governor announced the donation when the Committee set up by the Chief of Naval Staff on the New Naval Base in Ossemotor Oguta visited the governor on Monday, April 24, 2017, at the Government House, Owerri.
It would be recalled that the government had earlier donated a 200-bed General Hospital at Ngor-Okpala to the Navy.
Okorocha also disclosed why he donated the hospital to the Navy.
His words: “We have donated the 200-bed ultra modern hospital at Ngor-Okpala because we know that Navy is a disciplined Force and will probably run the best military hospital in the state which will be of great importance to Imo people.
“We have equally donated to you the Marine University which is under Construction at Oguta. The Marine University has the most beautiful location for the Navy. We have started this project as Marine University but we believe that the proper institution to handle it with the Naval Base should be the Nigeria Navy. We have donated the land and undertake to complete the ongoing project which has the capacity of taking about a 1,000 students or a thousand officers when completed. We are now waiting for you to come immediately as this government does not take the tranquilizing drug of protocol and gradualism. As soon you commence, the contractors will return to site to complete the project.
“Navy coming to Oguta will help in developing the waterway from Oguta to Lagos thus helping tourism to flourish in the area with Oguta Lake which will soon be given a facelift. It will equally make the area secured. This will help the state to tap its tourism potentials to the fullest in the area”.
According to him, “all these efforts are to force development to the state as Nigerians have not heard the Imo story yet. There is no state so centralized and richly endowed like Imo State. We have allocated land for the Naval Command School and another land for the navy estate. Admitted the naval captain as a member of the Imo Security Council. Donated temporary office and quarters for the smooth take off of the naval base”.
Also, Commodore Obenta who led the Committee had expressed the Chief of Naval Staff’s gratitude and appreciation for the government and the people of Imo State for the donation of the land at Oguta and the 200-bed ultra modern hospital at Ngor-Okpala, stressing that the state is ready and willing to support the naval community when eventually the base is established in Oguta and the hospital taken over by the Nigeria Navy.
He promised that the Chief of Naval Staff will expidiously establish a port at Oguta and fastrack the smooth take-off of the hospital, pointing out that a strong committee had been set by the Chief of Naval Staff for the purpose.
He pledged that the Nigeria Navy was willing and ready to partner the Imo State government in ensuring adequate security for the growth of the state.
