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Buhari meets a major point in N’Delta 16-point agenda as Maritime University takes off

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The Federal Government on Saturday announced that the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, has commenced operations and is currently inviting job applications for academic staff.

This is coming a year after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), which tabled the establishment of the Maritime University as one of its 16-point agenda for the region.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, who disclosed this development in a statement he signed himself and released on Saturday, added that President Buhari has approved a significant increase of the take-off grant from N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion.

He said, “Already, the grant has been included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly earlier this week, under the Federal Ministry of Education allocation, superseding the previous provision of N2 billion for the university.

“The presidential approval for the N5 billion budget allocation was based on the recommendation of a committee in the Ministry of Education tasked with the activation of the university.”

The minister further stated that President Buhari has also approved an immediate release of a separate N1 billion, different from the N5 billion allocated in the 2018 budget, to support the university’s essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment.

He added that the Maritime University authorities have recently commenced the process of hiring staff with advert placements in some national media.

“In the published academic staff vacancies, the Maritime University is now hiring professors, readers, senior lecturers, lecturers, assistant lecturers and graduate assistants to teach in the faculties of Science, Maritime Transportation, Maritime Engineering & Technology, Maritime Environmental Management and General Studies.

“It would be recalled that under the New Vision for the Niger Delta, which followed the President’s meeting with PANDEF leaders last November, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities and the issue of the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government,” Usani said.

There is concern however on the issue of the name of where the university is sited. The Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) president, Mr. Esimaje Awani, had recently warned the Federal Government to obey the judgment of the Supreme Court, which named Okerenghigho as the place to site the university and not Okerenkoko.

READ ALSO: Anarchy looms if N’Delta issues are not properly handled, Itsekiri youths warn Nigerian govt

“The Nigerian Government should not be seen as acting against itself by succumbing to blackmail in the face of the judgment of the highest court of the land with respect to the naming of the site of the university.

“By the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the issue, the place remains Okerenghigho and not Okerenkoko and if any group of people is interested in having a university in the area, I believe that will be the Itsekiri, but why should the executive arm of government act against the judicial arm?,” he had asked.

 

 

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0 Comments

  1. seyi jelili

    November 12, 2017 at 1:57 pm

    1/16 is a failure, he has to meet up with at least 10 for him to pass

    • JOHNSON PETER

      November 12, 2017 at 2:09 pm

      At least, it is better than zero

  2. JOHNSON PETER

    November 12, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    The university of maritime is a giant landmark for the region

    • yanju omotodun

      November 12, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      In what way?

  3. Balarabe musa

    November 12, 2017 at 2:24 pm

    Now, some people will say baba buhari likes to favour the North, what about this? Even Niger Delta son, Jonathan could not achieve the establishment of the Maritime university but baba Buhari did

    • yanju omotodun

      November 12, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      If Jonathan had won his second term bid, he would have done it as well, so Buhari has done no big deal

  4. Abeni Adebisi

    November 12, 2017 at 7:02 pm

    Is this supposed to be a special thing? The talk of having the university started before Buhari came into power, so it’s not a big deal at all.

  5. Animashaun Ayodeji

    November 12, 2017 at 7:07 pm

    Kudos to Buhari for doing this. This is a proof that he has the interest of the niger/deltans at heart.

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