Senate Committee Commends MAN, Oron Infrastructural Development
By Ovie Edomi
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun commended the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Dr Kevin Okonna for the Infrastructural development that has taken place in the academy. Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun who made the remark during an oversight function and tour of facilities at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron equally described the facilities in the academy as National asset saying the present environment of the academy is good for education of seafarers noting also that the visit has offered the Senate committee members an opportunity to witness the giant stride that MAN Oron has made. Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun equally acknowledged the unique role the academy has played in the training of manpower for the global Trade. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport equally commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for maritime education stressing that MAN Oron has become a citadel of manpower development and growth in Nigeria. He commended the resilence of the staff of the academy and praised the cadets for their willingness to contribute to the international Sea trade.
The facilities tour took the Senate committee members round the Simulators including multi-functional classroom Simulator, full mission Engine Room Simulator, full mission Bridge Simulator and Ocean Vision Simulator. The tour equally took the Senators to Smart Classroom, Library, main auditorum, Marine exhibition Hall, jetty, engineering workshop, Survival pool and Anchorage.
Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Steve Kareem noted that the structure in the Academy are well maintained. A fact that was coroborated by Sharafat Ali representing Oyo South another member of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport who stressed that the academy environment is very impressive.
For the academy acting rector, Kevin Okonna, the visit of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator to the academy for the first time in 8 years meant a big plus for the academy especially when the Senate Committee on Marine Transport ensured that money was appropriated by the Senate committee for Infrastructural development, supply of equipments including Simulators. The acting rector thanked the Senators for the visit and his joy was expressed even more by the cadets who showed their happiness by coming out in their numbers to welcome the Senators.
Addressing the Cadets and management Staff, Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun commended the academy for the state of the art Simulators available in the academy and praised the acting rector for being a cerebral Administrator since he came on Board as the acting rector of the Academy. He equally celebrated the cadets noting that they are the country’s future captains, transport technocrats and ship administrators while stressing that Nigeria is getting to become a Maritime hub because of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu desire to invest in the Marine and Blue Economy.
Indeed, now that the Senate Committee on Marine Transport has expressed the strong desire to assist cadets by providing the necessary Infrastructure for MAN, Oron, the acting rector, Kevin Okonna has every reason to be a happy man for what has happened to the academy especially as the academy training curriculum and infrastructure are something key to IMO in the rating of maritime nations of which Nigeria is one.