Acting Rector Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron, Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok has said that contrary to reports in the media, he has a cordial relationship with the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and that the Minister has no problem with any staff of the academy. He spoke to newsmen in Lagos yesterday.
He also said that the reports making round in the media that he is at daggers drawn with the school Bursar, Folorunsho Kayode is false.
“I have no problem with the Minister of Transportation. If the Minister asked for audit of the period I was acting rector before Engr. Anthony Ishiodu took over, I don’t think it is wrong. He is the Minister in charge and if he needs any information concerning the day to day running of the institution, he should get it.”
Mkpandiok who also doubles as Registrar of the institution said that because of the situation of the economy, most public office holders go out of their way to dip hand in the public till and that for a Minister to call an officer under his jurisdiction to give an account of his stewardship at any time is not out of place
Concerning the Bursar, he said, “How can I quarrel with my friend, my classmate and my course mate? You can see that he is sitting here with me. We eat together most times especially when we travel and we also ride in the same car at such occasions.
“As I am talking to you now, the school with over 40 management staff has one mind. We have decided to work together to move the school forward and if the government grants approval to the plans that we have, in the next two years we will transform the institution.”
There were reports that Stakeholders in the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, have vowed to resist the federal government’s perceived plan to frustrate the emergence of Ante Mkpandiok as the substantive Rector of the institution.
There were also allegations that Amachi deliberately nominated a retired army major, who later became an academic, Prof. Eminue Okon, as his anointed candidate for the job to create problem and division in the community.
It was also reported that Alakija, the Bursar had vowed to frustrate moves by Mkpandiok to become the Rector.
Mkpandiok dispelled all these as figment of some people’s imaginations.
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