The investigation has revealed that some private maritime institutions in Nigeria are desperately working against the progress of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State because of new developments in the academy is viewed as a threat by many owners of this private maritime institutions.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, Rector of the Academy, Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd) stated that some of these private maritime institutions use senior officials of some regulatory government agencies in the maritime sector to carry out their de-marketing mischief.
According to the MAN Rector, “Ever since the Maritime Academy began witnessing a change in the right direction as regards development, many of these maritime institutions have been working against the academy’s progress.
“These maritime institutions know that what they charge as tuition fees per year is enough to see a cadet through to his or her third year in the Maritime Academy, so to them, the Academy is a threat to their purse.
“They know that many students now prefer to come to the Academy rather than apply for courses in their institutions because the Academy boasts of quality lecturers, including master mariners, which they (private maritime institutions) don’t have, and they don’t want this. The academy, aside now boasting of world class facilities and lecturers, offer relatively low school fees compared to what these private maritime institutions offer, so they see the academy as bad business.
“To make sure the Academy’s growing fortune nosedive, some of these maritime institutions have employed the services of some senior officials of some maritime regulatory agencies to work against the Academy.
“We know this people that are working on-behalf of these maritime institutions against the Academy, and very soon, we will blow the lid on them.
“Should people become so selfish as to work against government establishment just to ensure that their own businesses thrive? It’s quite unfortunate that this is happening, and very soon, we will blow the lid on these saboteus.”