The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Commodore Duja Effedua (retd.), stated that he has received over 6,500 requests in the last three years of his administration.
He said that by insisting on changing the accounts of events at the academy, he gained more enemies than friends and that anti-corruption organizations frequently contacted him.
Effedua, who is in his second term, mentioned this while presenting to the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration during oversight functions at the Academy recently.
He mentioned, “This is my second term, which ends next year, we have completed all necessary tasks, and we do not need to stay longer than required. There were challenges when I was appointed, it is not easy for people to accept changes.
“I found a lot of unfinished projects, more than 39 of them, some were abandoned for years, I was then wondering what to do. I had to get an audit firm to audit the academy to know where we are coming from.
“We had to make changes to reorganize the school, look at the classrooms we met, how can someone learn in this environment? I said no, we have to build modern classrooms, we can do it, it’s just attitude, but in doing this we upset people, people don’t like what you are doing and that is why I am the most petitioned COE in Nigeria.
“I have received over 6,500 petitions as of three years ago, and there is no week that I’m not being invited by the antigraft agencies by somebody because some people think that the longer you stay, they no longer get what they were getting before.”
He indicated that the state of infrastructural decay at the academy was so severe that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had threatened to remove Nigeria as a place where maritime students should be trained.
He also expressed concerns about funding for the academy, mentioning that he has only received 33% of funding from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, a situation he said has affected the academy on many fronts.
In response to the presentation during the interactive session held at the conference hall of the Nautical Building of the Maritime Academy, the chairman of the committee, Khadijah Ibrahim, stated that all contractors who abandoned projects from the beginning of the institution would be investigated and made to explain every Kobo collected to serve as a warning to others.
Ibrahim, who was represented by the vice chairman of the committee, Hon Uduak Ududoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom), mentioned that the committee would write to the institution on returning to Abuja, adding that the practice of abandonment of projects after taxpayer money has been paid must not be allowed to continue.
“We will look back, to investigate the projects even from the inception of the school, and so, when we get back to Abuja, we will meet as a committee and mandate the clerk to the institution because we cannot continue this way.
“They (contractors ) are Nigerians, and if they have opportunity, they will embezzle the money and abandon the projects. So, when we get back, we will look at these things, it is Nigerian money that is involved,” Hon Ibrahim said
The leader of the committee expressed unhappiness that the required 5% share from NIMASA to the Academy was not being sent regularly. As a result, they decided to call the NIMASA leadership to clarify why the allocation to the Academy is less than expected.
