The Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mkpandiok Mkpandiok has counselled workers in the premier maritime training institution on the discharge of their statutory roles and responsibilities.
Mkpandiok charged them to adhere to set standards in the discharge of their functions, pointing out that this was the only way to project the academy as a centre of excellence in maritime training and education.
“Every employee must be an active participant in the actualisation of the academy’s restructuring effortâ€, he said.
Mkpandiok who stated this this during the academy’s one week quality assurance audit in Oron noted that his administration would do its best to restore the prestige as well as the glory of the academy.
He explained that the one-week exercise complied with the global maritime watchdog’s, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) requirement for Nigeria to remain on the White List.
While praising the Quality Assurance Audit Committee and the Department of Quality Control for the commitment, he said based on the special nature of training at the academy, the curriculum would be reviewed to incorporate those aspects that would aid compliance with the 2010 amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping Convention at the various levels of seafaring.
Mkpandiok called on directors of schools and heads of departments to work assiduously towards the review of their curricula while appealing to the internal auditors not to fail in criticising constructively.
“We must adhere to standards when discharging our responsibilities and add value to make our cadets to be competitive in the global market,†he said.
The Head of Quality Control and Servicom, Mr. Thlawur Dunya commended the management and staff for their cooperation during the exercise just as he appealed to school directors and heads of departments to take note and act fast on any non-conformity observed in their schools or departments.
He stated that the IMO member-state audit scheme was intended to provide a comprehensive and objective assessment of how effectively it administered and implemented those mandatory IMO instruments covered by the scheme.
The IMO audit became mandatory since January 1, 2016 to determine the extent to which all member states would give full effect to the obligations and responsibilities contained in a number of the IMO treaty instruments.
The mandatory IMO instruments included in the scope of the scheme cover Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 1974 and its 1988 Protocol); Prevention of Pollution from Ships; Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for seafarers (STCW 1978); Load Lines (LL 66 and 1988 Protocol); Tonnage Measurement of Ships (Tonnage 1969); and Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG 1972).
