A civil rights organisation, Oro Youth Movement, has berated the Interim Management Committee of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, for suspending the 2017/ 18 admissions into the academy.
The committee recently announced the suspension of the admission exercise, heightening tension in the institution.
The group in its position paper released to the press on Friday contended that the IMC is bent on closing down the school, causing unrest and unpleasant action in the academy in the disguise of restructuring by the IMC.
According to its position paper signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Ini Essang, the group opposed any attempt towards creating more tension in the academy.
The statement reads in part: “We view the suspension as the first step in relocating the academy to a different location as has been rumoured in certain quarters, and this is unacceptable. Is restructuring meant for the removal of staff of Oron origin or relocating of the academy to another place?”
Essang described as laughable claims that OYOM is being sponsored to attack the interim committee.
He stated that the group was opposed to imposition of any illegal committee in the academy since the Ministry of Transportation did not deem it fit to appoint an Oron man as Rector or Vice Chancellor from an array of sound intellectuals from the academy’s host communities, or even Dr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok who had served in the capacity of acting rector in the last 12 months and has performed creditably.
Describing the development as unacceptable and a clear case of marginalisation, he therefore appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria to rise to the occasion by appointing an Oron person as rector or vice chancellor as it might be applicable.
It would be recalled that the youths and stakeholders from the academy’s host community had a week ago staged a peaceful protest and blocked the entrance into academy in their overt demonstration of anger over the inauguration of interim management committee.
