Professionals and technocrats under the umbrella of “Oron Concerned Citizens” have bemoaned the delay is not upgrading of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron into a degree awarding institution.
The professionals speaking through their leader, Dr. Edet Ekerendu when they paid a courtesy call on the Rector of the academy promised to appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action on the upgrade.
According to him, “We are overwhelmed with the uncommon transformation in the academy and are happy to be associated with the administration of Amb. Joshua Okpo.”
He stated that the group was concerned and worried that an institution with such physical and manpower development does not have a training vessel for its cadets.
Ekerendu promised to support MAN Oron in its quest to acquire a training vessek and make its jetty functional.
“The efforts and the unprecedented monumental development the institution has attained in just a few years of the administration of Amb. Joshua Okpo has made the institution stand out,” he said.
Okpo thanked the delegation for their interest in the progress of the academy.
He said he has briefed the President, the Minister of Transport and relevant bodies concerned on the need to upgrade the specialized institution to a degree awarding status.
He said the academy has signed a memoranda of understanding with various organisations in in Georgia, Turkey and the Philippines, for the upgrade of the institution and to provide sea-going experience for its cadets.
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