BEVERLY HILLS, November 16, (THEWILL) – The Senate, on Wednesday, approved the bill for establishment of Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State, as the bill scaled its second reading at the Senate in spite of a purported scrapping of the project by Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
The bill, sponsored by James Manager (PDP-Delta) was unanimously supported by the senators after the mover’s lead debate, making case for the establishment of the university ensuring the bill for the establishment of the Maritime University scaled second reading.
Manager argued that maritime sector had huge potentials and that Nigeria should have a university for the purpose of producing capable manpower for the sector which, as he said, is currently dominated by foreign interests.
He disclosed that the location of the school, Okerenkoko, was suitable as the area was close to the sea and surrounded by oil wells.
The move was seconded by Fauster Ogola (PDP-Bayelsa) who said the giving legal backing to the school would make Nigeria become a hub of manpower development in the Maritime sector adding that Nigeria would be the first to have a maritime university in West Africa once the bill received approval of the National Assembly ultimately.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, then called for the voice vote and the Senators unanimously responded positively prompting Saraki to refer the bill to the committee on tertiary education and Tetfund with a mandate to report back in four weeks.
THEWILL recalls that the project was launched by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 but there has been no law backing the establishment of the university.
However, Amaechi, addressing the Senate committee on maritime, on January 19, announced the scrapping of the project citing insecurity in the area, adding that the project was a “misplacement of priority” because there are transport institutes in Zaria (Kaduna), and Oron (Akwa Ibom), already.
Later, on June 14 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Amaech reiterated his position declaring that the Federal Government lacked the funds to continue with school; and that unless the N13 billion spent on the procurement of the land for the project was retrieved, the project stood scrapped.
“Okerenkoko (Maritime University), I am not against,” he said.
“My argument about Okerenkoko is that land alone is 13 billion naira. If you give me 13 billion, I will buy the half of Lagos. That 13 billion has built the university already.
“What to do: let EFCC retrieve the money and release the money and we build the university. If they bring the N13 billion, I will build the university for them. That’s for land alone.
“I believe the Federal Government does not have money. When we have money, we can continue.
Story by Oputah David
