The minister of transport, Ritomi Amaechi, and the minister of state for
petroleum, Mr. Ibeh Kachikwu, on Monday 13th June 2016, distressed
on the instituting of a Nigerian Maritime University, futured for Okerenkoko in
Delta State.
Speaking together with other ministers at the town meeting in
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, government house. Mr. Amaechi garrisoned the decision of
the Buhari administration to fracas the project.
Mr. Amaechi assumed that the former administration of Goodluck
Jonathan had paid too much to obtain a site for the university.
The revolutionary of the proposed school at Okerenkoko in Warri
south-West local government area was done by former President Goodluck Jonathan
in 2014.
But addressing the senate committee on maritime on January 19,
Mr. Amaechi announced the clashing of the project, which was to be funded by
the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration Agency, a parastatal under his
ministry.
Mr Amechi mentioned insecurity in the area, and said the project
was a “misplacement of priority” because there are transport institutes in
Zaria (Kaduna), and Oron (Akwa Ibom), already.
On same day, Mr. Amaechi addresses the situation again, in
response to a question at the town hall meeting.
The minister said the new government lacked the funds to
continue with the university project.
“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.”
He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should
recover the N13 billion already paid for the land, then “I will build the
university for them”.
“What to do: let EFCC repossess 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.”
But Mr. Kachikwu disagreed with Mr. Amaechi, saying he was in
support of the project, drawing a loud
applause from the audience.
“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.
“It’s not in my place to determine whether land was valued at 3
billion or 10 billion. The appropriate institution which is at the cost system
will determine that. That has nothing to do with development of infrastructure.
And as far as I know, so much has already gone into the university.
“So much physical of assets are being developed. We are not
going to throw away the baby with bath water. We deal with the issues but the
university will be developed. If he (Amaechi) does not want it in Maritime, I
will take it in petroleum,” he said.
Mr. Kachikwu later said that he joined the present government
without ever meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, but by “recommendation and
reputation”.
On the renewed insurgency in the Niger Delta region, Mr.
Kachikwu repeated his call for dialogue with Niger Delta Avengers which has
vowed to ground Nigeria’s oil industry, having carried out audacious attacks on
oil and gas installations.
He said the crisis could not be resolved through counter
military attacks by Nigeria’s Armed Forces, but through dialogue.
“We must dialogue first; and if that fails, we know what to do
next,” he said.
He said Niger Delta people with “skills and finance” would
benefit from allocation of oil blocs because it would be part of “giving back
to the chicken that laid the eggs”.
He said oil blocs would empower Niger Delta people and enable to
engage in genuine oil deals, rather than being contractors to oil companies.
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