11 September 2015, Asaba – Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, complained, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari administration has ordered a stoppage to on-going constructions for the take-off of the Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko, Delta State, which groundbreaking was performed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in May.
IYC in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Eric Omare, also accused the Buhari government of frustrating the resumption of the Nigerian Maritime Administrative and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Science and Technical College, Okoloba, Delta State, describing same as “political victimization taken too far.
“Since assumption of office, all steps taken by President Buhari and his kinsmen with respect to NIMASA, are all geared towards frustrating the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, NIMASA Science and Technical College, Okoloba, Delta State and any project or programme perceived to be of benefit to the Niger Delta region.
“President Buhari’s administration has ordered all ongoing projects, programmes for the take-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko to be stopped, whereas other tertiary institutions in other parts of the country where maritime programmes are being sponsored by NIMASA are allowed to continue.
“These institutions are Ibrahim Babangida University, Minna, Niger State, University of Lagos, Federal University of Technology, Gombe, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the approval for the maritime programmes in these institutions were given at the time same with the Maritime University, Okerenkoko.”
“We are convinced that this is a continuation of Buhari’s victimization of the Niger Delta region, especially the Ijaw people as fallout of the last presidential election. This is much unexpected of a political leader, which Buhari ought to be.
“It will interest Nigerians and the world to know that these institutions and a few others are the only federal presence in the Ijaw areas of the Niger Delta region apart from the oil and gas facilities littered everywhere and acting as a curse and sorrow to our people.
“We cannot fathom any reason why the Buhari administration cannot allow institutions that will address some of the educational challenges facing our people in the Niger Delta region, but is only interested in the free flow of the crude oil resources from the region.”
- Vanguard
