Shipowner, Master Mariner Laud Okonna’s Appointment

The former President of Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Greg Ogbeifun and the former President of National Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Capt. Adewale Ishola, has applauded the appointment of Dr Kelvin Okonna, as the acting Rector of the Marítime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa-Ibom state.

Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP, the two leaders of the foremost associations in the marítime sector, described Dr Okonna, as most suitable for the job.

They, however, called on the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to confirm him as the substantive Rector of the institution.

Ogbeifun who is also the chairman of Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL), said Okonna is highly skilled, trained and resourceful.

According to him, Okonna as the secretary of the Interim Management Council (IMC), of the council knew what to do but needed necessary support.

“Dr Kelvin Okonna is the most eligible person right now to take over the mantle of leadership in the academy. He needs to be supported and I say this because he’s one of the longest serving resource staff in the institution.

“He’s highly skilled and trained. He was the secretary of the IMC committee so he was part of all we did and he served under Commodore Emmanuel Effedua. He knows what to do and they need to give him all the necessary support.

“If the government brings another person from outside, the new person will be starting all over again,” he warned.

On his part, Capt. Ishola, urged the acting rector to work tirelessly in getting approval for new courses from the Nigerian Marítime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the employment of more professional lecturers.

He also argued that having worked with several Rectors in the past, he will hit the ground running.

“His appointment is just by God’s desire and  all I want to tell him is to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor and I know he’s also part of the administration. It’s easy for him to enter the big shoes left by Commodore Emmanuel Effedua but that should be with a bit of caution.

“He’s very experienced and has worked closely with past rectors that is about six Rectors. He’s high up there, he’s very reliable and trusted. He has always been supporting whoever was the rector in the past but now, the ball is in his court and I know he will succeed.

“Also, I think, he should work on getting more professional to take up very important courses. i know he’s working on that but he shouldn’t relent, he should get the right calibre of lecturers for the Cadets

“Also, few courses need approval from NIMASA in order for the academy to offer the courses so being the arrowhead of getting those accreditation then, he needs to dedicate someone to do it now. He needs someone to push to get the accreditation from NIMASA,” he stated.