The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maritime University

  • Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) Thursday told the federal government that no amount of dialogue will end intermittent insurgency and youth restiveness in the oil-rich region if the critical questions of equity and development were not sorted out.

    President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri, who stated this during this year’s annual Major Isaac Adaka Boro anniversary, held in Effunrun, Delta state, also said the first step to get any form of dialogue with the people of the Niger Delta was the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    Lead speaker at the event, Tony Uranta, also charged the federal government not to terminate the amnesty programme, initiated by the previous administration yet as doing so would only be worsening the restiveness in the region.

    In his speech at the event, Eradiri said the only reason there was anything like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the insurgent group claiming responsibility for the recent upsurge of insurgency in the region, was because the same issues that Adaka Boro fought against in his days are still very much around in today’s Nigeria.

    “The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Sarowiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising. There are no Avengers anywhere. Settle these issues and the avengers would fizzle away.”

    “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja Wednesday but I told them that such meeting would not work. If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start admitting students, then we would now sit and talk,” Eradiri said.

    Meanwhile, the lead speaker at the event, Uranta, opined that time was not ripe for the federal government to terminate the amnesty programme, noting that doing so would only be helping in building an army of discontent youth in the region.

    “Government must reassure the people of the Niger Delta that it is not yet ready to terminate the Amnesty Programme as there are still a lot of people yet to go for training.

    “If you don’t engage these people, you are building up an army of discontent and the government must restructure Nigeria to a true federalism.”

    On her part, co-speaker and rights activist, Annkio Briggs, while condemning the federal government for the way and manner it is handling the agitations of the region, said “What the people of the Niger Delta region are asking for is self determination.

    “This is different from self succession. We want to own our resources and states should be allowed to explore their own resources while paying tax to the federal government,” she said.

     

  • Ijaw youths to Buhari: Don’t scrap maritime varsity

    Ijaw youths to Buhari: Don’t scrap maritime varsity

    Ijaw youths, Sunday , passionately appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, against taking any decision to scrap the Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    In their letter to the President, the youths argued that the university would address the age-long marginalisation of the Niger Delta region; develop manpower in the maritime sector and help the Federal Government in its efforts to diversify the economy.

    They told the President that they were disturbed by the proposed cancellation of the university by the Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.

    In the letter signed by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) (Worldwide), Mr. Udens Eradiri, and the council’s Secretary, Mr. Eric Omare, the youths faulted the reasons for the university’s cancellation adduced by Amaechi.

    They said the reasons which Amaechi gave when he briefed the Senate Committee on Marine were weak, mischievous, misleading, highly provocative and inciting.

    The youths noted that scrapping the university would portray Buhari’s government in negative light and provide justification for fresh militancy in the region.

    They said: “The university would no doubt open up the area where it is sited which is in the hinterland of the Niger Delta and help in positively impacting on the life of the people of the area concerned, especially the youths.

    “We cannot be talking of addressing problems of militancy and other associated challenges in the Niger Delta region without giving the people education. The Maritime University, Okerenkoko is part of the post amnesty development plan of the Niger Delta region.”

    They said Amaechi’s position that the country already had similar institutions in Zaria and Oron was not tenable adding that the university in Okerenkoko was designed to play different roles in the sector.

    The youths further posited that instead of relying on allegations of corruption to cancel the university project, such allegations should be investigated and resolved in line with the rule of law.

    They said: “The institutes in Oron and Zaria are meant to train medium class manpower in the maritime sector while the Maritime University, Okerenkoko would train world class technical and managerial manpower.

    “This would obviously address the problems of capital flight in Nigeria where Nigerians are sent to universities in countries like Philippines, Romania, Egypt and other countries to train at great cost to the country. The existing institutes and university are expected to play complimentary roles in the development of the maritime sector.

    “Mr. President, the most ridiculous reason advanced by the Minister is the assertion that parents would not send their children to school at Okerenkoko because of the terrain. This comment is not only ridiculous but also highly provocative and inciting.

    “It would interest your Excellency to note that Okerenkoko Community, Gbaramatu Clan, Delta State is surrounded by several oil installations and platforms such as Egwa 1 Flow station owned by NPDC, Abiteye owned by Chevron, Makarava, Odidi 1 & 11 owned by NPDC, the Chevron Escravos Terminal and several other oil installations.

    “And these oil installations and platforms have several oil workers including foreign expatriates who have been working for several years in that environment even during the period of hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

    “The question is, if oil workers can go to this same environment to explore and exploit oil, why can’t the same place play host to a university that would develop the people and environment?

    “Contrary to Mr. Amaechi’s assertion, the Okerenkoko environment is a natural location for a maritime university. It is ridiculous for the Minister to suggest that one of the Maritime institutes in Zaria be upgraded to a maritime university.”

    They added: “Is Mr. Rotimi Amaechi saying that the Niger Delta environment is only good for oil exploration and exploitation but not good enough for education and infrastructural development?

    “Is Amaechi saying that the people in the creeks of the Niger Delta region unlike other Nigerians have no right to acquire education and live a decent life? Whose interest is Mr. Amaechi serving or promoting?

    “Mr. President, Mr. Amaechi is obviously not promoting the interest of your government! He has only succeeded in painting your government as an anti-Niger Delta administration.

    “We of the IYC are shocked that a suggestion not to build a university in the hinterland of the Niger Delta is coming from Mr. Amaechi who is from the same region.

    “We wish to also point out that if allegations of alleged corruption are one of the reasons for the decision, such issues be handled in accordance with the law. It should not be a reason for cancellation of a laudable project”.

    The youths further said it was not true that there was no work done at the permanent site of the university apart from the feasibility studies.

    According to them the tragedy of the country had been facilitated and often repeated by politicians driven by sectional, ethnic and other primordial sentiments.

    They lamented that the policies and decisions needed in the march to greatness had been sacrificed on the altar of personal and egoistic indulgence to the detriment of the greater good of the nation.

    “Mr. President, we call on you to reject the proposed decision of the Ministry of Transportation to cancel the Maritime University, Okerenkoko. If it is a decision that already has your blessing, we appeal for the reversal of the decision.

    “It is not in the interest of the country and your administration. The decision would only provide justification for hostility in the Niger Delta region towards your administration,” they said.

  • Maritime University gets VC, Registrar

    President Goodluck Ebele  Jonathan has appointed Prof  Ongoebi Maureen Etebu as Vice Chancellor and Mr Anho Nathaniel Esoghene Lucky as Registrar of the Nigeria Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, noted that Mrs. Etebu is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Port Harcourt.

    She graduated with a B.Sc from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1982, and went on to obtain a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), in 1997.

    The Vice Chancellor also obtained an M.Sc in Engineering from the same insitution and an MBA from the University of Port Harcourt with a bias in Management.

    She has extensive working experience in the university administration and the Public Service and is occupying a Professional Chair for Engineering Management.

    The Registrar, Lucky, obtained a BA (Education) History/Foundations from the University of Port Harcourt and a Masters in Industrial and Labour Relations.

    He has held several positions in the University management spanning from Senior Assistant Registrar to the position of Deputy Registrar/College Secretary, College of Health Science, Delta State University, Abraka, a position which he held until his appointment.

     

  • FG targets $6b yearly from seafarers’ export

    The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi, said Nigeria aims to earn over $6 billion annually from exporting abroad, seafarers trained from the newly approved Maritime University in Delta State.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on Wednesday approved the license for the university as the first fully fledged maritime university in West Africa.

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Akpobolokemi said: “The Philippines remit over $6 billion from selling seafarers across the globe. So the new Maritime University in Nigeria is intended to sell seafarers across the globe, not only our local industry.

    “Youth moving aimlessly in the streets should come and study after graduating to get the necessary sea time experience and the rest of them and expose them to anywhere in the world.

    “And with our population that is youthful in characteristics, we can do better than the Philippines.”

    He commended FEC for approving the license, noting that NIMASA has recorded more achievements in the past four years than the previous 10 years.

    He said: “One of the noble steps we have taken yielded success and that has to do with the formal approval for the take off of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State.”

    “FEC gave its endorsement for the take off of the university. We are happy because this is unique in this country. In the Sub-Sahara countries, we don’t have maritime universities. It has been a very challenging period in getting to this level.”

    The Director General also pushed for quick constitution of the management board to run the new university.

    “So we hope that in a couple of days, hours or weeks, the Federal Government will constitute the officials to run and manage the university so that full academic activities can commence,” Akpobolokemi stated.

  • Itsekiri youths launch magazine tomorrow

    TThe National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG), under the leadership of Alero Naomi Tenumah, is set to launch a magazine known as NAIG Focus.

    The ceremony  is billed for the Alfred Ogbeyiwa Rewane Memorial Hall in Warri by 10 am. It is expected to be chaired by a former Delta State Commissioner for Works, Dr. Alex Tosan Ideh.

    According to a statement issued in Warri by Tenumah as well as the association’s National PRO/ Chairman of the Editorial/ Publicity Committee, Dennis Mene, the magazine covers education and infrastructural decay in Iwere land, special focus on Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), NIMASA Dockyard and Shipyard as well as the Gas City/EPZ project.

    The statement added that a PDP Chieftain and Delta State gubernatorial hopeful, Chief Godswill Obielum will be Special Guest of Honour, while the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II will be Royal Father of the Day, with Professor Mary Olire Edema being expected as Mother of the Day.

    It was also gathered that the member representing Warri Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju, Principal Consultant to Environmental Foundation of Nigeria, ERFON, Mr. David Aboyowa Omaghomi, Chairman of the EPZ Interface Committee, Barr. Austin Oboroegbeyi, Hon. Friday Ossai Osenebi of Delta State House of Assembly and former Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government, Hon. David Tonwe will grace the magazine launch.

  • Maritime varsity, ship-building yard coming

    Maritime varsity, ship-building yard coming

    The Federal Government is to establish a Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State to enhance capacity building, Minister of Transport Senator Idris Umar said yesterday.

    Umar was speaking during the inauguration of three newly acquired security and enforcement boats and send-forth of 655 beneficiaries of the Seafarers’ Development Programme at the Nigerian Maritime Resource and Development Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos. He said the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had established Institutes of Maritime Studies in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University in Lapai, Niger State and Niger Delta University in Bayelsa State.

    He said the Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, had been strengthened with infrastructural and technical capacity to make it more responsive to human capacity development. Efforts, he said, were on to make the Academy a degree-awarding institution by affiliating it to the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.

    Umar said the development of young and quality seafarers was a direct response to the dearth of seafarers globally and particularly in Nigeria. The 655 cadets, he said, would leave shortly for various maritime training institutions in Egypt, India, Philippines, Romania and the United Kingdom.

    He said the ministry and its parastatals had carried out various initiatives and reform programmes aimed at securing Nigerian waters against piracy and armed robbery.

    NIMASA Director-General Mr. Ziakede Akpobolokemi said last year 1500 cadet trainees were selected for training under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) adding that the selection of the 655 cadets brings to 2505 the number of trainee cadets expected to undergo academic, technical and sea time training under the programme.

    He said that 15 state governments currently support the programme and urged others to show interest and support. NIMASA, he noted, believes that the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme in the nearest future will make Nigeria Africa’s hub for supply of skilled maritime human capital. He also said that government is planning to build a ship-building yard for practical and technical training for students of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom State.