The federal government’s plan to upgrade the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, into a university may have hit a brick wall with the rejection of the Federal University of Maritime Studies, ( FUMS ) bill by the National Assembly.
Findings by The Nation revealed that the proposal to upgrade MAN into a university has pitted several government agencies and lawmakers against each other with many of them working at cross-purposes such that admission into existing programmes for this year’s enrolment may be jeopardised.
Investigation by our correspondent further revealed that the rejection of the bill by the lawmakers informed the setting up of an ad hoc technical committee with members drawn from the House of Representative Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, the Nigerian University Commission, NUC and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
Informed sources confided in our correspondent that at the public hearing in Abuja, NIMASA reportedly kicked over the upgrade of MAN into a university, arguing matter-of-factly that MAN should maintain its current status as there was already a newly accredited Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Warri South, Delta state.
NIMASA’s objection, informed sources further said, may have been fueled by the paucity of funds, a argument it has canvassed to show lack of interest by the Presidency to commit funds to two maritime universities under the present administration, which considers the ongoing ‘strong reforms agenda’ at the Academy as the first step to repositioning the institution towards achieving a reconnect with its lost mandate.
Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, Preye Kinsley, an alumnus of the Academy seems to share the same sentiments with NIMASA, noting that the Academy should focus on its core mandate of providing seafarers for the maritime sub-sector.
NIMASA’s reluctance notwithstanding, members of the House Committee and some stakeholders including the government of Akwa Ibom state and various Oro nation socio-cultural and political unions have expressed support for the upgrade.
Expectedly, this year’s admission was put on hold by the restructuring Committee in addition to delay in the resumption of National Diploma and Higher National Diploma students, as directed by the six-man Committee on the Restructuring and Repositioning of the Academy.
The Nation was reliably informed that there is a committee working on the restructuring and repositioning of MAN, with a mandate to identify a number of concerns, one of which is the poor and unacceptable hostel accommodation for cadets amongst others.
Our source, who is very well informed on developments at the Academy also told us that of the over 700 personnel in the staff roll, junior staff is only 100 and the rest senior cadre, “how do you explain that?” he asked.
Our source revealed that personnel of the Academy, particularly the senior management level are on the same page with the reforms agenda and are cooperating with the Committee. He assured that the committee is composed of professionals who are beyond witch hunt or petty, personal agenda.
Findings further revealed that ship owners have for a while become reluctant in recruiting MAN Oron graduates of nautical science, based on curriculum reservations and perceived poor teaching quality and lack of basic training facilities/equipment at the Academy.
However, one time rector of MAN, Chief Nseyen Ebong agreed that quality has become a major challenge in the certification of cadets of the Academy, he debunked claims that products of the institution were unmarketable and uncompetitive. The former rector noted that cadets of the Academy are on top in academics and practical endeavors in many maritime institutions across the world.
“I have said it many times before that some of our cadets excel and are leading in both academic and practical training exercises in most maritime academies in Europe, Asia and America. But when those in power begin to play politics with funding of the Academy, there has arisen a gradual fall in standards and quality, you cannot take that away as a natural consequence. So what we have at MAN today is the crime of political recklessness and arrogance,” he said.
