Respite as local shipowners assure MAN Oron’s cadets of sea time training

Abiola Seun

Respite has come the way of cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron as the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) pledged to partner the Academy in providing seatime training for cadets.

Recall that sea time training had been a nightmare for the academy with over 5000 cadets of the academy are roaming the country without sea time thereby stalling their progress to be a seafarer.
But, addressing the management of the academy over the weekend after he toured the world class facilities in the Maritime Academy, the SOAN President, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung emphasized that the decision by the organization to visit and also support the Academy in critical areas of needs was motivated by the commitment of the present Management and the rapid transformation that the Academy has witnessed recently.

According to Dr. Onyung, “We have heard so much about your unflinching commitment towards the repositioning and restructuring of the Academy. This is my first time in this place since the establishment of this institution more than 40 years ago; but as I arrived here, I was first captured by the ambience of the Academy’s environment that tells the story from the gate.”

Dr. MkGeorge Onyung noted that he was highly impressed by what he saw, compared to what he used to hear previously. He said the newly completed structures and ongoing ones were bold signatures of the present management.

“Let me first commend the Rector and his management team for their vision, commitment and taste for quality. What I have seen is a sharp contrast to the previous stories of poor management, obsolete or complete lack of quality infrastructure, dearth of modern training equipment, half-baked Cadets and inadequate professionals to handle core maritime courses.

“I can now say that the Academy has a future. It is on course. I am quite satisfied. This is what gives us the courage and incentive to encourage this institution the more. It all points to the fact that with the right person in the right place, things can work in this country,” the SOAN President stated.

Dr. Onyung also promised on behalf of SOAN that the level of collaboration and support for the Academy will be increased to sustain the tempo of the current transformation and futuristic plans for the Academy, especially in the area of seatime training. He pledged that modalities will quickly be developed to strike a strong partnership with other affiliate groups towards ensuring that qualified cadets from the Academy have seatime on vessels.

“I feel proud that the Federal Government finally has found a man like you, a seasoned and renowned naval officer, a purpose-driven and core professional in the maritime sector, to man this great institution whose dreams have been stunted over the years. The cadets are our collective succession plan. There is no moral justification for us not to have them properly trained on board and other areas.

“Giving them adequate training and exposure will also boost the maritime industry and create more opportunities for exports. We must have competent hands to handle our ships and equipment.
This Academy therefore cannot be toyed with. We all must be seen as stakeholders and shareholders. It is therefore our determination to support you, and we sure will, particularly in connection with vessels for seatime. ” Dr. Onyung, who was accompanied on the visit by the Chairman, Technical Committee of SOAN, Dr. Lucky Akhiwu, added.

In his remark, the Rector of the Academy, Commodore Duja Effedua, explained that with this possibility of seatime training, the benefiting cadets will become exposed to real and practical life on sea, an experience which they never had but which is primarily designed to boost their competency and make them marketable across the world in line with international best practices.

Commodore Effedua stated that exposure of cadets to seatime on a vessel has become necessary as part of the current strategic agenda of restructuring and repositioning of the Academy into a world class institution.

He noted that, like some other projects, the survival pool that has just been remodelled and completed had been abandoned for 19 years. He maintained that his dream is to have foreign Cadets and other maritime professionals in the Academy.

The Academy’s Chief Executive who thanked the SOAN president for the visit and support in previous years however sought more of such support especially in the area of seatime for cadets and engagement in other areas.

As part of the facility tour, the SOAN boss visited the 1000 capacity auditorium complex equipped with sophisticated facilities, Simulation centre, library complex and resource centre all remodelled and completed by the Effedua administration.

Other places visited included the ICT centre, academic block and computerised lecture theatres, twin survival pool and the medical centre.