Federal Government has inaugurated an Interim Management Committee with the mandate to reposition the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, into an institution that will bridge the gap of technical knowhow that currently exists in the maritime sector in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the Committee in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi noted that, “currently the kind of graduates that Maritime Academy is producing and the kind of facilities the have is a shame to the country.”
He said that the report of the one month Committee that was set up on the 20th of January 2017 reveals that there is derailment by the Academy from its core. Mandate and complete decay in all aspects, “ranging from curricular to cadets admission and welfare. Consequently, it took the committee two months to submit an Interim Report.”
“The magnitude of the problems exposed in the Interim Report more than justified the time taken to produce the result. Indeed it is in appreciation of your tremendous work that the Government considered it expedient to appoint you to manage the affairs of the Academy by implementing those recommendations in your report and all other measures necessary to achieve the desired result” stated the Minister.
Amaechi expressed the willingness of the Ministry of Transportation in supporting the Committee to succeed. “Once again, I assure you of the Ministry’s cooperation and support in the course of the assignment. As much as possible I and indeed the management team of the Ministry will remain accessible to you all the time and wish you all the best. I thank you for the tremendous work you have already done and that I have no doubt you will work even harder to transform the Academy into a place that not only me and you but all Nigerians will be proud of.”
He reaffirmed that the Ministry must provide the necessary resources that will enable the school function.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Adebayo Saromi said that the Committee will work on all the recommendations in the initial report in turning around the fortune of the school.
He commended the Ministry for the enormous support it has given the Committee and promise that the Committee will reciprocate by repositioning the Maritime Academy.
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