By Godfrey Bivbere & Abigail Ezeh

FORMER Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho, has faulted plans by the Federal Government to convert the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, in Akwa Ibom State, to a university, warning that it would defeat the purpose for which the institution was established.

Speaking with Vanguard in an interview in Lagos, Ihenacho, a frontline maritime industry leader and chief executive officer of Genesis Worldwide Shipping, explained that what was needed was a re-orientation of the institution in line with the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, specifications.

He noted that with a re-oriented institution running on a curriculum in line with the IMO, Nigeria can start exportation of seafarers to countries in search of maritime labour at a competitive rate.

He said that conversion of the maritime institution to a university would de-market the graduates who would no longer be able to work on board ships because they would not be deemed qualified.

Ihenacho said, “It has to be orientated correctly. Try and understand what Oron is. Oron is supposed to be an institution that trains mariners. The qualifications that mariners have and acquire to work on board ships does not require a university degree, they are International Maritime Organisation, IMO, accredited and with STCW qualification, they are called tickets, that is what we call them in the industry but if you have a situation where people say because of politics, we want Oron to be a degree awarding institution, you have changed the orientation because the person who comes out of Oron and has a B.Sc degree is not qualified to work on board the ship anymore.

“So first and foremost, they have to get people who understand the training programme for producing seafarers and then you have to orientate people should that institution to produce or train people according to IMO’s STCW standards. If you do those two things, then you make provision for sea time experience for them when they come out of Oron, then you have to project it to say well; these people we are training will go on board Norwegian ships for instance.

“Then you can have an understanding with Norwegian ship owners where you can supply them very well trained Nigerian seafarers. I use Norway as an example; it can as well be any other maritime country that wants to get maritime labour at a competitive rate.’’