Says flagging could have dire national Implications

Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd.), Rector, MAN

The Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Cdre. Duja Effedua Emmanuel has expressed concerns with a recent statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, which flagged the Academy and other Agencies of the Federal Government as High Corruption Risk, HCR, agencies for failure to respond to its 2022 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, (EICS) questionnaire.

The Multi-Functional Classroom Simulator

Speaking with our reporter on phone when we sought clarification on the publication by the ICPC, the Rector described the report as most unfortunate especially as MAN does not joke with mails and correspondences sent to it.

“The Academy is a responsible government Institution established to train Cadets and Maritime professionals for manpower needs of the country and so attending to mails and letters sent to us as soft or hard copies is an established routine us.”

“When it comes to official correspondences by government agencies and other recognized institutions, we act on them very promptly”

“The Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard is a set of questionnaire which was sent to the Academy to respond to and we did because we considered it a normal inquiry by the Commission which we are duty bound to comply with”

“Why should the Academy fail to respond to normal administrative questions asked by the Commision?

The HUETE Simulator being installed at MAN

“I am therefore shocked and very pained on this matter considering the responses sent to  the ICPC on the EICS through email as requested by the Commission and hard copies delivered on same subject matter to the office of Mr. Abbia Udofia, Director/Head, Systems Studies and Review Department, ICPC, which were duly received and acknowledged”

“We have proof of emails sent to ICPC. We have acknowledged copies of hard copies delivered to the Commission on same issue on different dates”.

“If there are operational gaps at the Commission, the Academy shouldn’t suffer for such hitches”, the Rector said.

“Our compliance to enquiries and official communication between the Academy and the ICPC as well as other government agencies is very high. We do not handle official government communication with levity”.

One of several Swimming Pools at the Academy

“I am particularly pained because all our efforts to reposition the Academy will amount to nothing if this kind of report could be released without a call or visit by one Agency of government to another”

“It is even more devastating when you realize that the ICPC, unlike the Academy has offices in many states of the federation, making it very easy for the Commission to reach the Academy for clarifications on issues like this because they have implications not just on the affected MDAs but the entire country, this is a very unfortunate development with far reaching implications if not properly handled. Could be my personal view but that is how I feel and see it” the Rector said.

“The public is aware of frivolous petitions (over 6,000) that have been written by faceless persons on the Academy. I have become public enemy to some persons who are agents of darkness who feel hurt by our insistence on development of the Academy”

“I have developed a thick skin to negative publications but this one is like a stab on the back by a trusted ally”

Specifically, when asked on dates and copies of letters sent to the ICPC, the Rector said “From July 2nd 2021 when the ICPC first requested response to The Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard from the Academy and provided an official email through which to respond, we did”.

“Late last year on December 22nd 2022, the Commission said they have not seen our response and we had to respond again through email and delivered hard copies of our responses and correspondences which were received and duly acknowledged; we have our copies”

“By January 9th 2023, we submitted further response to same subject matter only for the Commission to classify the Academy as a high corruption risk agency on January 13th, 2023 for failing to respond to questions asked by the ICPC”

The High Risk label raises concerns because how will our international partners and collaborators look at us as an institution and Nigeria as a country?

“Personally one will not be bothered as it has become a regular feature for the Academy to be petitioned, accused, blackmailed and painted black by naysayers but the ICPC is a respected institution headed by a wonderful gentleman with whom we have interacted”.

“I think something is wrong somewhere and we shall even collaborate with the Commission to resolve and correct this anomaly”, the Rector assured.

Efforts to reach the ICPC over the week were unsuccessful as our correspondents continue to try.