• As Cambridge college sues Rivers over N17m unpaid tuition

Maritime trainings and skills acquisition in Nigeria may be set for significant boost, as Matral Maritime Training Centre (MMTC), located in Tinapa, Calabar, drafts revered marine Engineers and master mariners into the institution, so as to guarantee the country, an enviable, credible institution.

The MMTC was founded by Nigeria’s foremost Master Mariner, and Consultant to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Capt. Solomon Abiodun Omoteso , in honest desire to provide an alternative platform, capable of meeting global standards, as well as the peculiar needs of industry stakeholders.

Specifically, the group of marine Engineers and master mariners who would now serve as faculty instructors at the institution, said their motivation was to sustain the vision of the founder, the late Capt. Solomon Omoteso.

Already, the MMTC has received accreditation from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and is currently concluding accreditation exercise of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Bureau Veritas (BV) in order to internationalise its training programmes.

Confirming this to the MaritimeFirst, the Chairman of the institution, Chief Adebayo Sarumi indicated that apart from IMO recommended courses for seafarers, the centre is also out to train dockworkers in line with the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Transport Federation (ITF).

“Nigerian dockworkers have never had any kind of structured training in this country before now. All over the world, this is a career where people are trained in many areas. We have secured facilities and we have foreign partners for this programmes. This is a program that has been suggested by the ILO and ITF for dockworkers.

“We are probably the first to heed to ILO and the ITF instructions. We have local and international accreditation. We are in good discussion with the American bureau of Shipping and the Bureau Veritas to internationalise our level of training.

“NIMASA has given us accreditation and we Are  bringing quality control experts to assess the content of our training which we want to bring to the international standards”, indicated Chief Sarumi, noting that the MMTC which has been training marine personnel  for the international oil companies also offer customised courses at the instance of its Customers.

“We will not only have main campus at TINAPA, we can go to organizations’ premises to train their workers. We have trained over 1,000 marine workers for the IOCs

“We are professionals in the maritime sector who want to give back to the sector they belong. My challenge for them is that since you are lucky to have been trained, are you going to allow this sector to suffer from dearth of manpower?”

An Ibadan High Chief and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Sarumi highlighted that MMTC was established to offer short courses in line with the requirements of international maritime Organization (IMO) 2010 Manila Amendment of the STCW Convention.

“The MMTC is an outfit set up by us, founded by late Captain Abiodun Solomon Omotesho to fill the gap in Maritime sector, especially the nautical sub-sector. It is designed to be proficiency oriented, that is, courses are designed for people already at work and which professionalism needs to be enhanced through training.

“Our founder died, but the vision he left behind is so bright and we don’t want it to be beclouded”, he said.

Echoing similar view, the Managing Director of the institution, Capt. Ade Olopoenia said they were inspired by Chief Sarumi to further the vision of late Capt. Omoteso.

“The Chairman gave us the inspiration, when he challenged us not to allow the dream to die. Before now, the institution was a success and we want to continue with it”, highlighted Olopoenia.

Olopoenia also noted further, that the Centre is ready to offer customised courses at short notice.

“People don’t have to wait for nine months, to be upgraded. We want to make the MMTC a first maritime institution, in Nigeria; and Nigerians should be assured of best trainings in all aspects of technical marine operations”, he explained.

The professionals who offered to serve as faculty instructors at the institution, included Capt. Alao Uti, Capt. Adewale Ishola, Engineer Peter Onwordi, Capt. Adegboyega Olopoenia, Adaun E. P of EC&C International Ltd as well as Engr. Israel Obada.

They all pledged to improve on courses for Ports Facility Security Officers, Company Security Officers; Ship Security Officers and on courses relating to Security awareness for all seafarers, Security awareness training for seafarers for designated security duties; oil and chemical tankers familiarization courses, able seafarers (Deck and engines) and ratings, forming part of Watch.

In the meantime, a school, Cambridge College, Ikeja, Lagos, has sued the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency over an unpaid N17m debt.

Our correspondent gathered that the sum is the balance of tuition meant for 16 indigent students of the state who had their A level/Foundational Class at the college last year.

It was learnt that the college is one of selected Lagos schools being owed tuition under the scholarship scheme introduced by the Rivers State Government for its indigent but brilliant pupils.

Others are the Supreme Education Foundation, Magodo; Chrisland Schools, Ikeja, and Edgewood International School.

In a statement of claim filed before an Ikeja High Court and obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the college authorities asked the RSSDA to pay the balance as well as N1m damages for breach of contract.

The suit, which also joined the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice as a defendant, also sought “interests at the prevailing Central Bank rate of 25 per cent per annum till the liquidation of the judgment.’’

The Punch had reported last year that some students studying abroad under the scholarship scheme had resorted to washing toilets to make ends meet. The affected students, domiciled in some countries in Europe, Asia and the United States, recently protested over unpaid school fees, allowances and rents.

More than 2,000 secondary and post-secondary students reportedly benefited from the initiative inaugurated by former Governor Chibuike Amaechi in 2008.

The acting Executive Director, RSSDA, Mr. Godwin Poi, had said that Governor Nyesom Wike, had authorised the payment of the tuition, especially for the final year students.

The state, Poi also said, had written to the schools to show its commitment to paying the backlog.

Meanwhile, the Director, Cambridge College, Mr. Wale Odunlami, who spoke to our correspondent,said the institution had no choice but to seek a legal redress.

The educationist said, “The tuition has been outstanding since January 2015 and I expected the state government to have paid up by now because government is a continuum. Initially they were apologetic but things changed immediately after the Supreme Court judgment, which affirmed Governor Nyesom Wike.

“I wonder why the state government is reneging on this contract. This money is for services rendered. This was a good legacy of the former administration and I believe that you inherit both liabilities and assets as a government. The state government could afford to spend money for a thanksgiving service after the Supreme Court judgment.

“That money was enough to pay the tuition for 10 indigent pupils. There was a time a commissioner was put in charge of the RSSDA and I called her but what she said was shocking. She said they did not have any money to pay and that she blamed those who brought the pupils to us without having any money. It was shocking and I expected something more reasonable and conciliatory,” he said.

Attempts by our correspondent to reach out other affected schools were not successful.

A top official of Chrisland schools, who does not want her name mentioned because she was not authorised to speak on the matter, simply said, “The Rivers State Government is not owing us. Yes, they have stopped bringing pupils to us but we are not owed. The former administration paid us.’’

Also, another official of Supreme Education Foundation, who craved anonymity, said, “ I don’t want to speak on the matter, please.”

However, the Manager, Media and Communications, RSSDA, Mr. Kingsley Uranta, denied that the state government had stopped the scholarship scheme.

The state, he said, would endeavour to resolve all outstanding issues with affected schools soonest.

He said in a mail to our correspondent, “We are aware of, and indeed have received correspondence from Cambridge College, Lagos, and we are handling the issues with a view to resolving all the concerns raised therein.

“Our scholarship programme has not been stopped. However, the state government has directed that while those in their final year will continue and complete their studies abroad, all those not in final year will have to return to complete their studies under a special scholarship scheme at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University of Science and Technology and other partner universities in the country.”

Additional report from Punch