Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa. Chairman of CAN in the South South zone has called on the Federal Government and specifically  the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, not to go ahead with the proposed plan to cancel the Maritime University project proposed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The Maritime University according to Avwomakpa was part of the amnesty programme which late former President Umaru Yar’Adua put in place before his sudden demise but was actualised when President Goodluck Jonathan became President.

Speaking to journalists in Warri, Avwomakpa noted that the university was established as a way of creating an institution for training low and middle level individual who may be interested in maritime related courses believing that it will complement the role of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom state since
the academy in Oron can not accommodate all the young adults who seek admission into the institution

Besides the cleric said the issue of the Maritime University located in Delta state was debated at a federal executive council where the decision was taken. After which it was gazetted. A development that led to the ground breaking ceremony of the  Maritime University by former President Jonathan and subsequently appointed a Vice-Chancellor and Bursar.

Consequently, the CAN chairman in the  South South region noted that the federal government will need to first approach the National Assembly to repel the law establishing the Maritime University before any official statement can be made concerning the Maritime University.
But  rather for the government to cancel the Maritime University as stated by the Transportation Minister when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, headed by Senator Ahmed Sani, to brief the senate panel on the activities of the agencies under his supervision the federal government should think twice.

Avwomakpa stated further that though the Minister of Transportation said, he was no more going ahead with the university project proposed by NIMASA because there is already an institution in Oron, which in the word of the Minister could be upgraded to a University, Archbishop Avwomakpa noted that the aim of the Maritime University  at Okerekoko, Delta State  is to use the Maritime University to  attract the teeming youths  in their thousands who are known for restiveness in the coastal communities to embrace the culture of acquiring specialize skill and sound tertiary education as a way of addressing high illiteracy rate and youth restiveness

The Archbishop therefore said that since lot of money had already been released for the university project, canceling the project will amount to throwing the baby with the bath water

Consequently, Avwomakpa urged the President, Minister of Transportation and the National Assembly not to repeal the Act setting up the Maritime University stating that at worse the federal government can cede the Specialists to the Delta state government if the federal government do not want to put more resources into the institution.