The dust following the scrapping of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko was yet to settle before the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi revealed that the federal government had plans to establish a Nigerian Transport University.
Rotimi Amaechi announced the establishment of the university while delivering the opening address at the recent regional training workshop organized for Port State Control (PSC) Inspectors for West and Central Africa in Lagos.
In 2014, Former President Jonathan did the ground breaking ceremony of the Nigerian Maritime University amidst cheers and chants from jubilant stakeholders who were basking in the euphoria of seeing the long awaited Maritime University come to being. Jonathan appointed Professor Maureen Otebu as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University, and academic programmes were expected to commence subsequently.
Today, NMU has been scrapped after several attacks from the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi who faulted the location of the university in Okerenkoko, Delta state before he opined that NMU was a waste of resources which he asserted that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron needed to be able to evolve into a maritime university.
Amaechi was quoted to have queried the location of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta state. “We are not going ahead with the university project proposed by NIMASA because we have an institution in Oron. NIMASA is proposing to build a new one. How many parents will allow their children to go to such place where NIMASA proposes to site it?
Responding to Amaechi, E.K Clark referred to the statements of the Transport minister as “very insulting”, “callous” and “vindictive” on the Okerenkoko people. He posits that Okerenkoko is a major community in the Gbaramatu kingdom on the Escravos River and Gbaramatu is well known for its vast deposit of mineral resources with combined oil wells that run into 100s.
Although the Minister’s explanations sounded logical but it was fiercely countered by Dr. E.K Clark, several other industry stakeholders as well as the indigenes of Okerenkoko community marched to the Delta State Government House, Asaba, to protest the Federal Government’s move to cancel the Nigeria Maritime University sited in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area.
The revelation by the Minister of Transport that a new Transport university was set to established is expected to raise several pertinent questions. Amaechi had stated that the proposed Transport University would be set up to address the manpower needs of the transport and logistics sector, but what is the difference between a Maritime University and a Transport University?
The Nigerian Maritime University was to be a specialized institute, that will no doubt bridge the gap of manpower by developing enough human capacity in the Maritime sector. But in the opinion of the Transport Minister, this couldn’t be achieved when the requisite facilities were not in place and there was no money to get these facilities.
Since the lack of funds to speedily complete the NMU project was one of the minister’s reasons for scrapping it, how come funds are available to establish a Transport university? Is this a ploy by the Minister to embezzle funds? Or is he simply l;;king out for a project that would be attributed to him?
Although it is the prerogative of the government to decide what kind of universities are necessary, the interest and needs of the sector also has to be put into consideration.
By Kenneth Jukpor
