By Francis Sadhere

THE Chairman, Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), Chief Michael Johnny has kicked against the planned scrapping of the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out now on the fate of the University.

President Mohammadu Buhari

“I want the President to break his long silence on the proposed scrapping of the University. The University should not be taken out of Okerenkoko. The establishment of the University will bring development to the riverine community and so the President should make policy statement on the fate of the University as we are no longer comfortable that the President has not spoken on the fate of the University since the Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi shocked Nigerians about the scrapping of the University by the Federal Government”, the EGCDF boss said in an interview.

According to him, it is not in the best interest of Nigerians, especially the people of the Niger Delta region for the Nigerian Maritime University to be scrapped.

Pleading with the Federal Government not to do away with the University, Chief Johnny who said he has helped to train many graduates and are doing well all over the country described education as the key to over come under development and poverty.

He said;” I want to appeal to the President not to go ahead to scrap the University as being recommended by the Minister for Transport. The scrapping of the University will set the development of the Niger Delta region backward.”

Chief Johnny added that;”We have invested in so many ways in the riverine community, Okerenkoko where the University is sited and we have created the enabling environment for the smooth take off of the University. We are ready to make sacrifices to ensure that the University comes to stay.”

He  made it known to President Buhari that the reasons put forward by the minister for the planned scrapping of the university does not hold water and implored  the President to ignore the minister as far as the university was concerned.

His words; “We the people of Okerenkoko community are worried over the suggestion for the scrapping of the Maritime University by the Minister for Transport and we are not happy too that the President has not spoken on the matter. We have committed so much to the establishment of the university as we know that it will bring development faster to our people.”

“The Maritime University is for the benefit of all Nigerians; the university is for the people and I am imploring President Buhari to ignore the minister on his proposed scrapping of the university.

“The president must not accept the selfish proposal of Hon. Amaechi on the Maritime University and I will be the last person to stand against the establishment of the University in the riverine community of Okerenkoko knowing fully well that it will bring the needed development to my people. We are all united in the establishment of the University in Okerenkoko and the President should therefore go ahead with the smooth take off of the University,” Chief Johnny stated.