Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) OlisaAgbakoba has called for the independence of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN Oron.
Agbakoba called for this independence in an exclusive interview with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY in his office.
He said the overdependence of MAN Oron on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is not healthy for seafarers development in the country.
Agbakoba also wondered why NIMASA should be incharge of training of seafarers instead of MAN Oron, a training institution.
He said, “NIMASA is not supposed to be incharge of the training of seafarers but they are unfortunately [in charge of it] and they are doing it badly.
“Seafarers training should be strictly for the Maritime Academy of Nigeria,Oron but because MANOron has no money [NIMASA] has now taken on the function.”
Agbakoba who is also Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said the government should make Oron Independent of NIMASA.
“We should find a way to make MAN Oron independent instead of it depending on hand-outs from NIMASA.”
Agbakoba said the priority of the incoming government should be how to democratize government agencies.
“NIMASA has so many responsibilities on its hands – that include representing Nigeria in the International Maritime Organization (IMO); training of Seafarers; it is incharge of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Funds (CVFF) and lot of other activities – that they are doing it poorly.
“You can see that they are too many things they are doing; that they are doing them badly. We will make a recommendation to General MuhammaduBuhari to democratisegovernment agencies and ones that need not to exist should be scrapped and the maritime sector will grow.”
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