The Federal Government has given a mandate to the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Adebayo Sarumi to restructure Nigeria’s oldest maritime training institution, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
Sarumi who was the brain behind the successful implementation of the Federal Government economic reforms that led to the successful concessioning of the nation’s seaports in 2006 is expected to lead a team of five other professionals to supervise the restructuring of Nigeria’s premier maritime manpower development institution.
The six man team has six months to accomplish the terms of reference given to it.
THISDAY had reported the setting up of the six-man committee in January this year was to among other functions, advise the Federal Government on the best way to restructure and reposition MAN, Oron.
The mandate given to the committee was sequel to the submission of its report to Amaechi earlier this year.
The decision of the Federal Government is a clear case of reposing confidence in the report submitted by the committee in spite of the hues and cries in certain quarters.
The Minister of Transportation, Right Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who dropped the hint while inaugurating the six-man interim management committee in Abuja, said the Federal Government had approved the implementation of the reports earlier submitted by the committee.
His words: “To achieve the vision and objectives of establishing the institution, members of the committee are now transformed into an Interim Management Committee. We approached the Federal Government since May to give us the go-ahead to implement your reports and we got the approval of the President for the committee to implement that reportâ€.
The minister enjoined the newly appointed Rector of the Academy, Mr. Duja Effedua to work with the committee, pointing out that he could also act in that capacity after the assignment of the committee was over.
According to him, Effedua will work with the interim management committee and he can only assume the full powers of a rector after Sarumi and his team has concluded their work. The ministry would provide the necessary resources to enable the committee function properly.
Sarumi in his response expressed the readiness of his team to discharge its task diligently. In the same vein, Effedua said he would assess the situation and challenges of the academy to enable him chart a work plan for successful implementation.
