Reports confirm that the bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Delta state scaled second reading at the senate on Wednesday.
This is coming several months after Rotimi Amaechi, Federal Minister for Transport announced that the project had been discarded.
The bill, sponsored by James Manager (PDP-Delta), was unanimously supported by the senators after the mover’s lead debate, making a case for the creation of the institution.
The foundation laying of the proposed university was done in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, at Okerenkoko in Warri South-west Local Government, and according to Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum, Physical Assets were on site.
Mr. Amaechi, while addressing the senate committee on maritime on January 19, announced the scrapping of the project which was to be financed by the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration Agency, a parastatal under his ministry.
Amaechi said the project was a “misplacement of priority” as there were transport institutes in Zaria (Kaduna) and Oron (Akwa Ibom) already.
On the 14th of June, Mr. Amaechi said the Federal Government lacked the required funds to continue the building of the university and that except the N13billion spent on purchasing the land for the project was retrived, the project remained scrapped.
“Okerenkoko (Maritime University), I am not against,” he said. “My argument about Okerenkoko is that land alone is 13 billion(naira). If you give me 13 billion, I will buy the half of Lagos. That 13 billion has built the university already.”
“What to do: let EFCC retrieve the money and release the money and we build the university. If they bring the N13 billion, I will build the university for them. That’s for land alone. I believe the Federal Government does not have money. When we have money, we can continue. The minister of petroleum has said he would look for the money. Minister, give me the money and we continue,” Amaechi said in Uyo.
However, Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu disagreeing with Amaechi, said he was in support of the project.
“First, let me say on Okerenkoko University, I disagree with the Minister of Transport,” he said.
“Any facility that is located in the South-South we should work close to developing it. I don’t care the circumstances under which you are placed.”
Mr. Manager, the sponsor of the bill, posited that the maritime sector had huge potential and that the country should have a university for the purpose of producing capable manpower, which he said is currently dominated by foreign interest.
He went on to argue that Okerenkoko was suitable for the project as the area is close to the sea and is surrounded by oil wells.
Fauster Ogola (PDP-Bayelsa) seconded the move that the bill be read for the second time. He said giving the university a legal background would make Nigeria a “hub of manpower development in the maritime sector.”
He further said Nigeria would be the first West African country to have a maritime university once the bill is approved by the National Assembly.
Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos) and Jibrin Barau (APC-Kano) also supported the bill.
After the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, called the voice vote and the Senators unanimously responded ‘ayes’, Mr. Saraki ruled the bill be referred to the committee on tertiary education and Tetfund.
The committee was asked to report back in four weeks.
Also, the Senate made progress on the bill to make the Maritime Academy in Oron, Akwa Ibom State a degree awarding institution.
The bill, proposed by Effiong Nelson (PDP-Akwa Ibom) was read for the second time.