Ijaw fault Amaechi on maritime varsity, talks with militants

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) yesterday condemned what they termed reckless comments allegedly made by the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi about the establishment of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko and ongoing negotiations with Niger Delta militants.

The minister had, at a town hall meeting convened by the Federal Government in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State last Monday, vowed to scrap the maritime university until the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered the N13 billion used in the purchase of the land where the university is sited.

The minister also said he was against dialogue with the militants who had destroyed critical oil facilities in the region during its Operation Red Economy attacks.

The Ijaw group, however, lauded the position taken by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu at the meeting.

According to the IYC spokesman, Eric Omare, Amaechi falsely stated that N13 billion was used to acquire an empty plot of land for the establishment of the Maritime University and that he was not part of negotiation with militants in the Niger Delta region.

He said: “Mr. Amaechi’s comment about the acquisition of land for the setting up of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko is completely untrue, totally wrong and deliberately
made to justify his unpopular and anti-Niger Delta opposition to the establishment of the Maritime University.

“For the purpose of records, we wish
to state the facts relating to the Maritime University as follows: The permanent site of the Maritime University is at Okerenkoko town in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area and the land for this site was acquired from the Okerenkoko Community at an amount less than N2 billion .

“After work commenced at the permanent site, the Federal Ministry of Transportation approached Chief Government Ekpemupolo who owned a diving school at Kurutie, another community in Gbaramatu Kingdom to acquire his private driving school to be used as a temporary site for the Maritime University.

“It is important to note that this Diving School at Kurutue was an existing school with state-of-the-art facilities and structures completely built. In response to the request of the Ministry of Transportation, Chief Ekpemupolo did his own valuation and arrived at about N15 billion, while the Ministry of Transportation did its own valuation and arrived at N13 billion,” Omare said

He stressed that the completed diving school was then sold to the Federal Ministry of Transportation at the valuation done by the ministry.