Buhari Yields To Niger Delta, Orders Opening Of Maritime University

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the Nigerian Maritime University, Delta State, be opened for activities before the end of the year “is in line with the demands championed by major stakeholders” in the Niger Delta region of the country, the presidency has said.

PREMIUM TIMES report continues:

The directive comes a day after the Nigeria Senate passed a bill to give legal backing to the school, three years after its foundation was laid by the former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The decision to open the new university followed recent engagements Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had with Niger Delta leaders on behalf of the federal government.

The presidency, Thursday, described the development as “a clear effort to further the Niger Delta New Vision policy of the Buhari administration.”

A statement issued by Laolu Akande, the spokesperson of the vice president, said a five-man inter-agency Committee to be headed by the Minister of Education, will see to the implementation of the president’s directive.

Other members of the committee will be picked from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, National Universities Commission, NUC, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and the Office of the Deputy Governor of Delta State.

“The Committee is to finalize the ongoing processes towards the opening of the Nigeria Maritime University in the 2017/2018 Academic Session. The Committee will work collaboratively with the current Principal Officers and the Governing Council of the institution,” Mr. Akande said in the statement.

Mr. Akande said that the federal government was at the final stage of developing technical criteria for the issuance of operating licenses for the establishment of modular refineries in the Niger Delta, in addition to having a roadmap that would address the development challenges in the region.

“A roadmap for addressing regional development challenges is being developed by an inter-agency working group comprising of Ministry of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Development Commission, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

“This group is working in partnership with experts seconded by Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and key resource persons financed by a bi-lateral international development partner.

“The roadmap will be based on the framework of the 16-point agenda developed by PANDEF.”

The statement added that “A strategy for community-based participation in pipeline protection and policing is underway and will be validated with series of engagement processes, collaboratively with PANDEF, oil communities and other communities in the region that play host to the vast network of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Osinbajo is scheduled to visit Cross River and Ondo States to conclude the fact-finding tour to the Niger Delta, the statement said.

Senate Passes Law To Establish Maritime University In Niger Delta

Nigerian Senate

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Senate has passed the bill for the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University in Delta State, thereby bringing the proposed school close to gaining statutory status, three years after its foundation was laid.

The groundbreaking of the proposed school at Okerenkoko in Warri south-West local government area was done by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 and, according to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, physical assets were on site.

However, there was no law backing the establishment of the university.

The bill for its establishment was passed by the Senate on Thursday, following the report of the committee on tertiary education and TETFUND chaired by Barau Jibrin, APC-Kano.

The bill was sponsored by James Manager, PDP-Delta.

The passage came well over one year after the Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, hinted at the scrapping of the school whose founding he described as a “misplacement of priority” and “waste of resources”.

Mr. Amaechi also cited insecurity as basis for his argument against the school.

Mr. Amaechi also expressed concerns with the payment of a huge ₦13 billion for the procurement of land for the school, allegedly, to wanted militant leader, Tompolo.

“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,” said Mr. Amaechi during a town hall meeting in Uyo on June 14, 2016.

But the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu disagreed with Mr. Amaechi, saying he was in support of the project, drawing a loud applause from the audience, at the meeting moderated by Information Minister, Lai Mohammed.

“Any facility that is located in the South-South we should work close to developing it,” said Mr. Kachikwu. “I don’t care the circumstances under which you are placed.”

“So much physical of assets are being developed. We are not going to throw away the baby with bath water. We deal with the issues but the university will be developed. If he (Amaechi) does not want it in Maritime, I will take it in petroleum.”

The Senate referred the bill for consideration of the education committee in November 2016, when it scaled second reading.

Mr. Manager, the sponsor, argued that the 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.

On suitability of Okerenkoko for the project, he said the area was close to the sea and surrounded by oil wells.

The bill will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence and the later for President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent, before it becomes law, which would allow the school access to funding from the annual budget.