Kachikwu visits Gbaramatu, Maritime University to take off soon

By Onitsha Shedrack,-Delta—–

The Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday paid an unscheduled visit to the Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, the ancestral home of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

The minister visit to the take-off site of the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU, Kurutie, Okerenkoko, Delta State, according to a source is to have on the sport assessment of the facilities at the university in order to properly brief the President on his return.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu during Government’s Town Hall meeting, on Monday, in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom state capital, while disagreeing with the minister for transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi  pledge, that he was going to revive the construction of the Maritime University, if Amaechi’s ministry fails to do so.

Amaechi, had stated at the Town Hall meeting that there is no money to fund the new university which he claim was established on a wrong foundation where in the government has spent N13billion in acquiring land, money he said, could build a fresh university, therefore, the institution has become a drain on the country’s resources.

Though details of the visit was sketchy as at the time of this report, it was gathered that Kachikwu visited the site after holding a meeting with stakeholders from the area at Asaba.

A community leader, Chief Dan Ekpebide, while speaking on the importance of the visit said; “the visit of the minister is coming on the heels of an earlier visit on Wednesday were the traditional ruler of Gbaramatu kingdom gave him a photo album to show him the structures on ground for the takeoff of the university.

“When the minister saw the structures on ground contrary to claims by Amaechi, he was perplexed and said that if the structures on ground are what are going to be used for the takeoff of the university, how the permanent site would be.”

He therefore commended the minister for taking the bold step of coming to see things himself, noting that with his action, the government has shown that they are ready to dialogue with critical stakeholders.