The Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has commended the efforts of Management of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron in Akwa Ibom State for the upgrading and development of infrastructure in the Academy.
“I congratulate the new Management. The academic environment has improved in terms of infrastructure in terms of buildings but it takes much more than buildings,” the Minister stated.
The Minister stated this on Monday, 6th May, 2019 at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria when he commissioned laudable projects embarked upon to reposition the Academy by the new Rector Commodore Emmanuel Effadua (Rtd).
“You need teachers… you must develop. You must purchase equipment for training the students to make them more competitive and your certificate recognized with foreign institutions training Seafarers.”
The Minister, who was accompanied by some Directors of the Ministry and Maritime Stakeholders, commissioned among others, the Sports complex, Swimming pool, fully equipped Information Technology Centre (ICT), New Auditorium, Air conditioned class rooms, Simulation Centre and Library Complex etc.
Speaking with journalists after the commissioning exercise, the Minister disclosed that an Interim Management Committee (MC) was set up about 18 months ago with the task to audit the institution and come up with recommendations for the repositioning of the institution.
Amaechi advised the Rector to employ qualified lectures from abroad as well as urged current lecturers to improve on their quality by returning to school for their PHDs. He also called on the Management to support the lecturers in this feat.
According to the Minister, “the academy should attract world class lecturers from abroad and locals for a train the trainer pact and for full time training of students.”
He further urged the institution to invest more in acquisition of equipment for the cadets. “We also promised to make the academy first class Maritime Academy, therefore we need to deal with equipment and teachers because if there are no teachers and equipment, it could be described as a hotel that is why we need to encourage and fund them.”
The Minister also tasked the Management on ensuring 24 hours power supply, Sea time for cadets and provision of visionary leadership.
Speaking earlier, the Rector of the academy revealed that 80 per cent of the uncompleted or abandoned project have so far been completed and remodeled.
He said that the current Management of the Academy has implemented 100 percent of the recommendations of the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
According to him, “the India Engineers, who are partnering with us to ensure we have all the necessary equipment, will arrive in Oron to visit the Simulation Centre to take note of the necessary measurement. Hopefully, by November 2019, the multi-functional classrooms should be in place.
He also revealed that most of the court cases that his administration inherited had been won while host community has become friendlier following engagement’s by the school thus giving room for the institution to thrive.
Effedua also noted that improving on the content of the school curriculum is the next phase of activities for the academy.
