ORON—LEADERS and stakeholders at Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have expressed lack of confidence in the seven-man Ministerial Committee inaugurated by the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in January, to oversee the restructuring and repositioning of Maritime Academy, Oron.

The leaders under the aegis of Oro Nation Advocacy Group, in a statement, by the president Anta-abasi Anwana, lambasted the committee, led by the former managing director of Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, for lack of focus, competence and interest in carrying out the mandates upon which it was set up.

They stated that Chief Sarumi does not have the interest of the academy at heart, adding: “We recall with deep pains that because of his half-heartedness and disinterestedness in the progress of the academy, he directly or indirectly had ensured that N25 million that was once allotted for the construction of the institution’s only Survival Swimming Pool was never released, while other sister agencies in the transport ministry like NIMASA and Nigerian Shippers Council complied with the ministerial directive.

Chief Sarumi Chairman Committee on Restructuring of MAN Oron, 3rd right, Mkpandiok Mkpandiok Ag Rector MAN Oron (middle) Engr Greg Utomwen Ogbeifun, President Ship Owners Association of Nigeria inspecting Presidential jetty.

“Today, the academy does not have a survival pool, which is a worrisome disadvantage to the cadets. The ill-will and distrust Chief Sarumi created for himself can best be imagined. Already there are strong speculations that the committee may have come with a hidden agenda, although, perhaps without the knowledge of the Minister of Transport.”

The group asserted that current speculations that Sarumi’s committee was planning to retrench the staff and reorganize the system with his favourites was already generating tension, adding:     “Rather than retrenchment, the committee should re-deploy some staff to departments where they will be more useful to themselves and the academy.

“These are all Nigerians and the Federal Government policy is to create jobs. Any retrenchment at this point can lead to crisis and, therefore, counter-productive. At the moment, the general morale of the staff is low and one can only wonder what it could be if Chief Sarumi in his wisdom resorts to vengeful, oppressive retrenchment or downsizing,” the group said.