Poor academic standard at MAN Oron, leads to Nigeria’s exit from IMO White list – Merchant Navy.

The Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transporters Senior Staff Association has said that Nigeria’s foremost maritime academy; Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State is not up to the standard specified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos recently, Secretary General of the union, Comrade Julius Eforkpo alleged that the lack of standard at the academy was responsible for Nigeria’s exit from the IMO white list.

Categorically, the union alleged that there is a colossal waste of government and tax payers funds at the academy, especially as one of the Simulators donated by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) rotted away at the academy without being installed.

Recall that the Rector of the academy, Comdr Duja Efedua during the commissioning of some infrastructures at the MAN Oron last week assured that another simulator is being expected to be installed at the academy soon.

The simulator was donated by NIMASA again. The equipment is being manufactured in India.

But Comrade Eforkpo advised that the institution should be brought up to IMO standard.

Speaking, Eforkpo said “The simulator that was supplied to Oron by NIMASA, rather for them to install it, they did not, they left it under the sun to rot, and that simulator was very important. Whenever the IMO come to Nigeria they see the simulator under the sun”

“The simulator is for radar, APA assessment and GMDSS courses , but it has just damaged at the academy because of negligence.
Our institutions should be well equipped”

“When I went to Oron for the purpose of this same issue, I found out that masters were being trained by river masters who drive small boats, I demanded to see their COC”

“Certificate of Competencies are guided by IMO, the provision of getting a COC are set up by IMO, there is no way you can bend the rule, Nigeria has lost its position on the IMO today because they have not kept to the rule”

“If you go to Oron, the equipment that supposed to be on ground for auditors to check are not there, there is no way to bend the rule.
The COC has to be of world standard and accepted by other ship owners”

Meanwhile speaking on the expected simulator, MAN Oron Rector, Efedua said that “As soon as we complete talks with the Indians and payments are made or Letters of Credits opened, our own staff will go and train where these equipments are produced. We need to have those who will operate this equipment, and those who will maintain them, so that we will not rely on foreigners to man our equipments for us after they have been installed. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past, where equipment were brought in and just dumped here”