The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has expressed its support for the Federal Government in establishing Maritime University, Okerenkoko in South West Local Government Area of Delta.
A statement by the Head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Isichei Osamgbi on Thursday in Lagos, said the attention of the agency had been drawn to media speculations and a press statement from the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) that the agency was opposed to the establishment of the university.
“This assertion is far from the truth and it has become necessary to clarify the issue as the Federal Government is committed to the actualisation of the project which the agency conceived.
“It is pertinent to note that NIMASA is supporting every aspect of the law in its determination to fulfil its obligations.
“In addition, the National Assembly recently held a public hearing on the matter and it is expected that the funding of the institution and other aspects of running it will be specified in the Act setting up the university.
“For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did the Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside, say anything contrary to the Federal Government’s position on the issue,” Osamgbi said.
He said the agency solidly stood behind the Federal Government in its determination to actualise the project.
“The benefits derivable from the setting up of the institution will be quite numerous.
“Apart from becoming a citadel for knowledge and development of human capital, job opportunities will be created to the Nigerian people, particularly the community.”
Meanwhile, the agency is to rehabilitate the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC) Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, to improve revenue generation and ensure the operations of the agency conform with international best practices.
The Board of Directors of NIMASA on Thursday led by Retired Maj.-Gen. Jonathan Garba, visited the neglected facilities at the resource centre.
Garba said that NIMASA had that capacity to rehabilitate the centre to be working effectively, adding that the agency had enough manpower manning sensitive departments at the centre.
“We are going to give every challenge affecting the function of the NMRDC frontier attack.
“The operational challenges facing the centre are issues that should have been handled before now but the present administration will take up the responsibility and resuscitate the centre.
“Most of you who are here should henceforth not seen yourselves as in Siberia because you are redeployed to NMRDC to work and make Nigeria proud.
“The facilities here if they are working will make every country know the position of the centre.
“We are going to attempt to put up policies to bring back all the facilities in the centre,” NAN quotes Garba as saying.
He expressed the readiness of the present management of NIMASA to resuscitate the centre and fully engage experienced staff who were struggling in making the centre functioning.
The Board chairman said the Management intended to find solutions to the challenges facing the centre, adding that “the management cannot not approach all the challenges at the same time.”
According to him, the management would look into the future development of the borehole in order to provide adequate water supply for the centre.
He said that more than 15 years ago, some staff were not promoted, adding that the present administration had taken stronger steps to be promoting staff every year.
Garba said that the management had demonstrated this by promoting over 300 staff in 2016.
He commended the staff and urged them to remain committed and support the management to achieve its objectives.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy Director of the Centre, George Iyang, said the centre was conceived by the defunct National Maritime Authority in 2001.
He explained that the complex was built with the Regional Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, adding that the centre was commissioned in May 27, 2008, by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Iyang said that the facilities at the centre were neglected due to oversight.
He said that there was need for rehabilitation of the building, adding that the building also lacked dedicated infrastructure and Maintenance Mechanism Unit.
The deputy director said that the management had just established in Feb. 2017 the Co-ordination and Management Bureau.
“The centre is lacking security, traffic, poor community relations, inadequate information technology, library, power, inadequate clinic, canteen and so on.
“There years back the NMRDC building test was conducted and confirmed that all the structures in the centre were strong except the library building that need thorough rehabilitation,” NAN quotes Iyang as saying.
He, however solicited the support of the management to make the centre active and prosecute the contractor that built the library section of the centre.
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