Militancy set to end as Senate passes law to establish Maritime Varsity in N/Delta
There are signals that this present government has started permanent resolution of issues raised by rampaging militants in the oil rich Niger Delta.
It was observed that since the last peace meeting with the federal government where the demands of agitators in the region were laid down, government has started delivering on the promises which resulted in the rising oil output.
Earlier this week, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) met with President Muhammadu Buhari and intimated him on the rising export volume of Nigerian oil, a development attributed by experts to the return of peace to the region after promises by the government.
At the Presidency, Dr. Maikanti Baru told Buhari that Nigeria’s daily oil output now stands at 2 million barrels per day, saying this is the first time production had crossed the margin in the last couple of years.
As part of fresh boost coming from the legislature, the Senate Thursday, passed the bill for the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University in Delta State, thereby bringing the proposed school close to statutory status, three years after its foundation was laid.
It would be recalled that the groundbreaking of the proposed school at Okerenkoko in Warri south-West local government area was done by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 and, according to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, physical assets were on site.
The major problem facing the University takeoff then was lack of legal backing which has come now. The approval for the school was part of the understandings agreed by the government with
The bill for its establishment was passed by the Senate on Thursday, following the report of the committee on tertiary education and TETFUND chaired by Barau Jibrin, APC-Kano. The bill was sponsored by James Manager, PDP-Delta.
In an interview, Senator Manager who sponsored the Bill, argued that the maritime sector had huge potentials and that Nigeria should have a university for the purpose of producing capable manpower for the sector which, as he said, is currently dominated by foreign interests.
On suitability of Okerenkoko for the project, he said the area was close to the sea and surrounded by oil wells.
According to due process, the bill will now be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence and the later for President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent, before it becomes law and have access to national budget.
