Petitions threaten confirmation of MAN, Oron’s Acting Rector, Ante Mkpandiok •Petition allegations half truths —MAN, Oron

Findings have revealed that numerous petitions kicking against the confirmation of the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Mr Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok as the substantive Rector of the academy is currently threatening his confirmation despite having been cleared by the office of the National Security Advicer (NSA). This is even as the academy labelled such petitions as half truths allegations.

It would be recalled that Mr Mkpandiok was appointed as the Rector of the academy in acting capacity following the death of the former Rector, Joshua Okpo in 2015.

According to an impeccable source in the Federal Ministry of Transport, “Mkpandiok’s desire to be confirmed substantive rector of MAN, Oron is being slowed down by numerous petitions against him due to the presence of his wife in the senior management cadre of the academy

“Since Mr President returned from London, various ministries have been briefing the Presidency on their activities while he was away on health issues. Mr President is keen on filling all existing vacancies in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) where we have chief executives in acting capacities.

“For the Federal Ministry of Transport,  the Presidency discovered only one vacancy, which existed at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

“There were numerous petitions kicking against the confirmation of the Acting Rector of the academy, Mr Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok. So, the Presidency has asked the people who wrote the petitions to come forward and defend their grouse against the acting rector.

“They have been invited because Its not just about writing petitions. Petitions must be defended, that is why they invited all the writers of petition against the substantive confirmation of Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok to come forward and defend them.

“The Presidency has even forwarded his name to the National Security Adviser for clearance. But his confirmation currently hangs in the balance due to unforeseen powers working against his substantive confirmation as Rector, MAN, Oron.

“In some of the petitions, some people raised eyebrows over the presence of Mkpandiok’s wife; Dr Arit Mkpandiok, who was the Director in charge of the academy’s School of Maritime Studies and a management staff of the academy, in the senior staff layer of the school.

“There were allegations that the acting rector facilitated her presence into the management team of the academy. According to this allegations, if Mkpandiok is confirmed as substantive rector, this could lead to the academy being run as a family affair.

“The petitioners have been invited to come forward and state their claim on why Ante Mkpandiok should not be confirmed, and this could be crucial to his confirmation,” our source stated.

Responding to the allegations of petitions against the presence of Mrs Mkpandiok as a senior staff of the academy, MAN, Oron’s Spokesman, Sidi Mkpandiok labelled the petitions as half truths.

“While as civil servants, we not only detest and discourage petitions, we are also guided by our oath to help develop and uplift the institutions and the people of the nation. Most petition writers in our clime jump into writing often with half truths.

“For instance, Dr (Mrs) Arit Mkpandiok became a Director and member of MAN, Oron Management over 10 years ago. She did not become a Director today. She even vied for Rectorship when Mr. Ebong rounded off in 2011,” he said.