The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has doled out about N5 billion to four universities selected for establishment of maritime training institutions.
Director General of the nation’s apex maritime regulatory agency, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, who disclosed this in Lagos on Monday while briefing members of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport who visited the agency as part of their oversight function, said the money was disbursed under provisions of the agency’s 2013 budget.
The institutions that benefitted from the largesse, according to him, include the Niger-Delta University, Wilberforce which got N1.74 billion; University of Nigeria Nsukka which got N1.2 billion; IBB University, Lapai, Niger State which received N1 billion and the University of Lagos, which was given N957 million.
Akpobolokemi also disclosed that the agency has lost the land it planned to build another maritime academy in Badagry on to the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) as directed by the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government in the letters with reference numbers HCSF/PSO/PARA/462/S.I/T and DG. 468/265 dated January 14, 2014, directed NIMASA to cede the property for the building of the proposed Maritime Academy in Badagry back to ASCON and the agency has already ceded the project to ASCON as directed,” the NIMASA boss said.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Maritne Transport, Senator Zainab Kure, said her committee had seen four out of the six security boats that were procured by the agency in 2013, adding that the committee, in accordance with the presidential directive, needed to ensure that ongoing projects were completed before the introduction of new ones.
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