“We have 99 per cent of all equipment that should be in a maritime academy”-Rector

Cdr. Duja Effedua Emmanuel, Rector, MAN

Indications that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, has been successfully restructured, transformed from rubbles to a bubbling , top notch, Maritime and Oil and Gas training institution emerged  during the recent Passing Out Parade, POP, by Cadets of the Academy.

World renowned and globally certified maritime professionals were unanimous in their conviction that, four years after decades of staggering and whimpering, tossed about self-inflicted woes and miseries, the Academy has been steered steadily and put on the path of irreversible growth.

The Rector and other dignitaries at the 2021 POP

An elated Engr. Greg Ogbeifun could not hide his joy at the sparkling, smart lecture theatres and remodeled hostels, which use to have eight to twelve students cramped in filthy, bed bug infested cubicles.

Today, the hostels are ensuite with two Cadets to a room with furniture, wardrobes and reading tables.

According to Engr Ogbeifun, “I wept when one Cadet muttered “Is it because we are children of nobody that we have to suffer like this”? This was when we came for inspection during the transition period of the IMC. I was very touched by those words and i wish i could meet that Cadet again. It’s a thing of joy that the story has changed for good. I know some prominent persons who are pushing to send their children to this Academy, isn’t it wonderful”?

Barrister Mrs. Mfon Usoro is a Maritime Personality personified. As pioneer Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, she is at home with maritime stakeholders anytime.

As chairman of the 2021 POP of MAN, the Former NIMASA DG was beaming with smiles and motherly candour when she addressed the graduating Cadets.

Mfon Usoro presenting a certificate to one of the graduating Cadets

“You have no excuse. You are the luckiest set of Cadets to graduate from this Academy. You have been trained with the best of equipment by very knowledgeable lecturers. What more can you ask for? Go out there and make Nigeria proud”.

Speaker after speaker, the expression of satisfaction by men and women who could not be forced to say what they do not mean were reechoed even by parents and Cadets of the Academy.

Presenting an Award of Excellence (on behalf of the graduating cadets) to the Rector of the Academy, Commodore Duja Effedua Emmanuel (rtd), the overall Best Graduating Cadet,  Ubong Gregory, School of Nautical Studies who was assisted by Anagbogu Uchenna Claudio, who emerged as the best graduating Cadet in the school of Marine Engineering, Ubong said,  “The Rector is our father. He has touched our lives by his guidance, provision, care and love for us. We are grateful sir. Kindly accept this plaque as a token of our appreciation of your commitment to our welfare and wellbeing in the course of our studies”

The 2021 Passing out Cadets honour the Rector with an Award of Excellence

The spontaneous applause that erupted in the Auditorium in appreciation of as well as significance/import of the gesture was deafening-not so much on account of the presentation by the graduating Cadets but for the passion, commitment, sacrifices made and pains endured by the Rector and members of the management team in the task of rescuing the Academy.

Speaking on the future of the Academy the Rector said “I think we have actually exceeded our projections. Our problem had been irregular funding, but what we have always been given, we have managed well”.

“In terms of  equipment, we have 99 per cent of all equipment that should be in a maritime academy. And in our own case, we have the best. We never had any one before, but now we have acquired the latest training equipment available”.

“All we need to do is to maintain the facilities/equipment and consolidate on capacity-building, because that is where we need to push harder. Like now, we depend less on our foreign partners. What the first set of Indians were doing for us, our people can do now, because our people were trained in India. Those Indians only came to stay for one year to help dot the ‘Is’ and cross the ‘Ts’. Now if you go round, our staffs are the ones doing it all; they maintain, they repair and they train”.

The Multi Functional Classroom Simulator

With first hand confirmation of the foregoing by stakeholders who have visited the Academy in recent times, it is widely agreed that going abroad or sending anyone abroad for any kind of training is waste of funds and resources.