Covid-19: MAN, Oron Suspends Academic Sessions

Chinazor Megbolu

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron has suspended all academic sessions of the foremost maritime school towards curtailing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

The management of MAN, Akwa Ibom State, said it became necessary to close down academic sessions until the pandemic is brought under control.

The Rector, MAN, Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit by the President-General, Oron Union, Bishop Etim Ante.

The Rector also noted that the need to be cautious heralded the decision of the Academy to send home its cadets over the menace of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We had to shut down the Academy on Friday because we are most vulnerable to the spread of the Covid-19 disease, but most people don’t know that. Cameroun is just about an hour away from us by water and the borders are so porous, so we would not want a situation where our cadets will be exposed to this disease.

“Again, we have seafarers who come here often, and we don’t know where they have been to or where their ships have called at. It was because of this that we asked all the cadets to go home on Friday.

“We have asked the Mandatory Short Course students and cadets to go home. It’s not like we cannot manage them, but we don’t want to take the risk because these cadets come in contact with people that go to town.”

Effedua explained that the Oron Union leadership has just been sworn in and are on a familiarisation tour of the Academy hence their visit to the academy.

According to him; “the Oron Union leadership has just been sworn in and is here on a familiarisation tour.

“We would have even cancelled this visit due to the Coronavirus pandemic but had to decide it will be the last visit pending when the Corvid-19 outbreak subsides,”.

Meanwhile, the President-General of Oron Union, Bishop Ante lauded the Rector for his foresight and great achievement at the Academy since resumption as Rector.

He, however, thumbed up Effedua for the creation of an alternative route for the host community and the establishment of a Naval Unit between Udung Okung and Idua communities respectively.

Editing by ‘Biodun Soyele