By Harris-Okon Emmanuel

UYO—Akwa Ibom House of Assembly has waded into the crisis between the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron and its host communities over the closure of the  access road to the communities by the authorities of the institution.

Indigenes of Udung Okung village and the neighbouring communities had complained to relevant authorities in the state  over the closure of the only road to their areas.

The member representing Oron state constituency, Mr Effiong Bassey, had tabled the issue before the House under a matter of urgent public importance which prompted the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to visit the community and the institution on facts finding.

Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the closure of Marina Road, Mr. Otobong Akpan, who represents Ukanafun state constituency, said they received petitions on the closure of Marina Road that passes through the academy to Udung Ukung Village.

Vice chairman, Oron LGA, Mr. Charles Bassey, said Marina Road had been in existence before he was born, noting that it won’t be fair for the community, which donated the land for the building of the academy to be locked in.

But the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron,  Commodore Emmanuel Effedua (retd), insisted that there was no access road in the academy to Udung Okung Village in Oron Local Government Area of the state and warned the community  not to play politics with the issue.

He stated that what appeared to be a gate that allowed another access to the village, was a fence which a former rector of the academy broke and constructed the gate, stating that it was wrong for the committee to pass judgment on him without seeking his opinion on the matter.