SERVING and retired workers of the nation's seaports, yesterday, lauded the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration in the maritime industry, saying the it had not only positively affected human capital, but also material resources in the sector.
At a briefing on the platform of Maritime Watchdog of Nigeria, MWN, the workers listed what they considered as outstanding achievements of the present administration, contending that they wanted the administration to continue and do more for the sector.
Speaking on behalf of MWN, its Legal Adviser/General Secretary, Mr. Mac-Johnson Odey, enumerated parts of the achievements to include programmes on the development of Nigeria seafarers, capacity development, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Shipyard and Dockyard, Satellite surveillance centre.
The group noted that the present government was building a shipyard/dockyard for repairs and maintenance of ships, barges, among others in Delta State.
Achievements
He said: "The government's dogged war against piracy led to the establishment of satellite surveillance centre to fight piracy, oil theft and smuggling within our water ways and other maritime crimes within our territorial waters.
"These crimes have today been drastically reduced through the presence and operations of the satellite surveillance centre in NIMASA.
"With the current level and effort of capacity building, infrastructure development and drive for improved performance, give hope for Nigeria as a future maritime nation of note."
Scholarship
MWN noted that in the last four years, the government had sponsored no fewer than 2,500 youths from the six geo-political zones of the country under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programmes, NSAP, to achieve the dreams of becoming a seafarers.
Odey said: "The Federal Government is solely responsible for the sponsorship of over 70 percent of this number.
"The NSDP scheme currently has students in the following institutions: Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt; Amet University, Chennai, India; University of Perpetual Help Dalta, Philippines; University of Cebu, Philippines.
"Others are South Tyneside College, Newcastle, UK; John Moores University of Conseanta, Romania.
"Seventeen cadets have graduated from the John Moores University Liverpool with B. Sc in Nautical Sciences and have concluded sea time training."
"Eleven cadets have graduated from the South Tyneside College Newcastle with B. Sc Marine Engineering.
"So far, 17 states have keyed into the programme. North-East— Borno, Yobe and Gombe; North-West— Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina; North Central— Benue, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, FCT; South-East— Ebonyi; South-South— Akwa Ibom, and South-West— Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo."

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