Bayelsa State Maritime Academy Will Grow Capacity, Create Employment–Hon. Agala

TRACKING ____The member representating Brass constituency 2 in Bayelsa state House of Assembly Hon. Timi Agala-Omubo has moved a motion in the floor of state Assembly urging the state government immediately kick start the Bayelsa state Maritime Academy at Opkoama in Brass love local government area.

In a statement made available to TrackNews Online Said,

“You Recall that the Maritime academy Okpoama was given birth by a law in 2012, which ran through full legislative processes by this Honourable House, culminating in an executive assent. In other words, the institution was established by a subsisting law which gives it legal rights to exist and operated by the Bayelsa State Government.

Note that the establishment of the Maritime Academy, Okpoama came after the barrage of criticisms, agitations and protests that greeted the relocation of the College of Education from Okpoama to Sagbama, now known as Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro College of Education, Sagbama.

Further note that in November 2013, a delegation from Poland led by the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria visited Okpoama following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bayelsa State Government and the Government of Poland, which includes but not limited to a sixty million Euros facility as well as a Gdynia Maritime University of Poland’s academic support plus courses affiliation.

Acknowledge that the host; Okpoama Kingdom was proactive in instituting a Kingdom based support committee to effectively liase with the interim academy management for a smooth take off, and went further to donate several land spaces including a 4-hectre land with additional water front for a training jetty at Okpoama. Such was the readiness of the Kingdom to see to the success of the Maritime academy

Disturbed that Government has not added a single infrastructure driven by intent to signify a proper take off of the academy, neither has the Governing Board employed staff or admitted a single student since it’s establishment from 2012 till date

Worried that the Maritime academy, Okpoama is the only educational institution in Bayelsa State created by law that exist only in name and a quasi-management or governing board with nothing else to show for it eight years after establishment.

Encouraged that the present administration which is at it’s earliest stage has a golden opportunity to revisit the original concept of partnership with the Polish Government as well as looking inwards to giving life to the Maritime academy with a potential of over 550 direct staff capacity in 4 years, and the building of human capacity through practical Maritime training with a consequential improvement in the overall economy of Bayelsa State

It is in the light of the foregoing Mr. Speaker and Respected Colleagues, that I earnestly pray this Honourable House do resolve as follows:

That the Acting Rector and relevant management staff of the Maritime academy Okpoama, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport be invited to appear before this Honourable House to explain why the academy has not seen the light of day, and create a path for it’s effective take off.

I so move!