Vincent Toritseju
22 January 2019, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Federal Government has constituted a committee to work for Nigeria’s return to the International Maritime Organization, IMO, category ‘C’, ahead of the United Nation’s agency’s November general elections.
Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Commodore Emmanuel Effedua, disclosed this to SweetcrudeReports in Oron, Akwa-Ibom State, saying that virtually every parastatal under the Ministry of Transport were making efforts to ensure that Nigeria, as a maritime nation, is re-admitted into the council of the IMO.
Lamenting negative comments from maritime stakeholders that could derail Nigeria’s re-admission, Effedua said all efforts should be geared towards Nigeria’s entry into the council.
The MAN boss was particularly irked by comments attributed to the President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Captain Tajudeen Alao, who was reported to have said that the academy did not have the right academic personnel to teach certain courses.
According to him, comments from a man like Captain Alao is taken seriously because he represents a critical group of stakeholders.
On the importance of the academy’s activities to Nigeria’s effort at the IMO Council, Effedua explained that the United Nations agency is interested in the quality of training that the academy is giving to its cadets.
He said: “The IMO will want to know what quality of training you are giving, they also want to know the kinds of equipment you use for these training.
“What is the calibre of your lecturers, can they go to another maritime institution to teach, what about your simulators, what are your teaching facilities like, are they world class, these are some the questions they asked when they audit us.
“That is why NIMASA is not sleeping, that is why Dakuku left his office to come and see things at the academy for himself.
“That is why the Minister of Transport is also not sleeping, off-course, a Committee has been set for this November Election.
“Everybody is working hard, even the maritime stakeholders are working NIMASA is consulting with them.
“That is why I am angry with Alao, with all these efforts, why would he make such statements.’’
