The Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki, has said that the Federal Government would take a holistic look at the remittances of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, in a bid to resolve the impasse surrounding the releases.
Ms Saraki said this on Thursday while fielding questions from reporters after a facility tour of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, in Akwa Ibom State.
The minister said that there appeared to be a misunderstanding on how funds meant to be sent to the academy in Oron by NIMASA did not get there.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding on the part of NIMASA as to how these funds are supposed to be given to the Maritime Academy, Oron. We already have problems with irregular remittance of five per cent funding of the Academy by NIMASA.
“It’s not in NIMASA’s pleasure, it’s not whether NIMASA wants to, or how it is NIMASA’s duty, it is not NIMASA to oversight it, NIMASA’s own is that you are supposed to give an amount to the Maritime Academy.
“We will look into the system as it is supposed to be. We are looking at a way of seeing how this ridiculous problem can go away forever.
“As of now, it is not working. The many things that have not been answered are funding, amount, how remittances are done and when they are done.
“We will sit together, independent of the Maritime Academy and NIMASA, to look at what is the problem and find solutions, because sometimes it seems we have a misunderstanding.
“We will make it very simple for everybody so that there will be no area that we are confused about,” Ms Saraki said.
She said the maritime sector if harnessed properly, could generate enough revenue for the economy.
Source: (NAN)
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