THE Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) has decried the high number of intakes of cadets at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MNA) Oron in Akwa Ibom state, a development they say is against international best practice.
They warned that the academy must be careful at the way people are being trained at the institution adding that at the end of the day the country will end up training nobody.
The mariners noted that the academy is currently churning out shipping administrators and not core mariners and thereby called for a re-working of the school’s curriculum so as to ensure that the training of mariners is given priority.
It was also learnt that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has frowned at the fact that the academy has not been able to get approval for its electrical department.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the association, the newly elected president of the NAMM Captain Adegboya Olopaenia said that the group will partner with the institution with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.
Olopoenia explained that the number of intakes are too many for the lecturers to do a good job at training these cadets.
“We will engage the management of the institution and make them see the need to reduce the number of their intakes.
“We must reduce the number of cadets admitted to the academy, how many of these cadets are on board vessels? how many of these cadets are gainfully employed?, he queried .
Captain Olopoenia, explained that the newly elected leaders of the association will consolidate on the achievement of his predecessor.
In a swift reaction, the media consultant to the academy, Mr. Ovie Edomi said that the number of cadets admitted is because the academy is currently the only maritime institution set up to train mariners.
He explained that all the courses at the academy have been accredited by the NBTE except for the electrical department and that efforts are on going to get it accredited.
