Ex-officials discrediting University of Maritime Studies, Akwa Ibom group alleges

The Oro Youth Movement (OYOM) in Akwa Ibom state says the University of Maritime Studies Oron (UMSO) is backed by law.

The Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), an institution established in 1977, is currently undergoing an upgrade to UMSO.

The bill approving the upgrade was passed by both chambers of the national assembly in 2021 and signed into law in 2022.

In a statement signed by Edet Eyo, the national president, on Friday, OYOM accused former officials of the defunct MAN of circulating false claims that the new institution lacks a legal foundation and threatens maritime training standards.

The youths said MAN ceased to exist in 2022 after the national assembly repealed the law and enacted the UMSO Establishment Act, transforming the academy into a federal maritime university.

OYOM said some members of the dissolved governing council were misleading the public with allegations that UMSO could undermine standards and compromise security in Oron.

“UMSO is not in transition and is not awaiting approval. It is already a federal university created by an Act of Parliament. No amount of misinformation can revive MAN,” the statement reads.

The group argued that upgrading to university status aligns Nigeria with global maritime training models, citing institutions such as the World Maritime University (Sweden), Regional Maritime University (Ghana), Dalian Maritime University (China) and the Australian Maritime College.

OYOM said claims that university status would weaken cadet regimentation were inaccurate.

The group said the academy upgrade followed years of planning under the federal ministry of transportation (now ministry of marine and blue economy) and was supported by NIMASA’s multimillion-naira investments in modern training infrastructure, including simulators.

“Their claims that UMSO threatens IMO standards, will suffer inadequate funding, or could destabilise security are not only unfounded — they are dangerous distortions designed to mislead the public and derail a national project,” the statement added.

“Their claims of insecurity are baseless. For over forty years, Oron has provided a peaceful, supportive environment for maritime training.

“There is no record — none — of insecurity targeting cadets or staff. Attempts to fabricate insecurity are nothing more than desperate tactics to undermine UMSO’s lawful activation.

“The people of Oron see through this agenda. They understand the ethnic undertones behind the attempts to deny Oron the benefits that other regions enjoy without interference.

“Oro Nation will not be marginalised again. Not by impostors. Not by saboteurs. Not by individuals clinging to structures dissolved by federal law.

“UMSO is a national maritime legacy. Its establishment is sealed in law. Its mandate is clear. And its future will not be sacrificed to personal interests.

“The Oro Youth Movement, therefore, reaffirms in the strongest terms that the University of Maritime Studies, Oron, must be fully activated, fully protected, and fully allowed to grow into the world-class institution it was created to be.

“The people of Oron remain united and unwavering. We will defend UMSO peacefully, lawfully, and relentlessly.”