The crisis which trailed the announcement of a Management Committee to oversee the affairs of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, for the next six months, deepened as a group that identified itself as Eyo Abasi Maritime Host Community Relations Committee has disowned the group that recently staged a protest over the appointment of the committee by the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotime Amaechi.

A statement by the group signed by its chairman, Pastor Bassey Okon Umoh and Secretary General, Comrade Etim Nyong Etim condemned the protest, saying it was unfair and unjustified. It further declared that the protest was carried out by misguided persons who were sponsored by hoodlums who have no say in the affairs of the community.

They alleged that some people who sometime now have claimed to be Man Oron host community leaders are fake, warning government officials not to allow themselves to be swindled by the alleged impostors, saying there is only one body known as the Eyo Abasi Maritime Host Community Relations Committee, recognized to speak on behalf of the Eyo Abasi autonomous community, the host community of academy.

They lauded the Federal Government and the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for taking steps to end the management lacuna in the academy, and especially for MAN’s recent upgrade into a maritime university. The group urged the Federal Government to fast track the implementation of the new status of the institution by immediately appointing a Vice Chancellor and other principal officers to begin the real task of transforming the academy to a degree awarding institution.

According to the statement, the group which is made up of the Supreme Council of Chiefs headed by His Royal Highness Offong Francis Eyo, Clan Head of Afaha Okpo was presented to the management of MAN Oron on Friday, January 20, 2017.

They disassociated the group from the recent protest and urge the management committee to go about its assignment without recourse to the alleged sponsored protest.

“Our Committee is aware of the Bill from the National Assembly passed into law for the upgrade of MAN Eyo-Abasi, Oron, to Federal University of Maritime Studies (FUMS) Oron, which is pending the assent of Mr. President to fully convert to a university. It is our hope that the awaited presidential assent will receive quick attention, while we look forward to the immediate appointment of its Vice Chancellor and other principal officers towards speedy commencement of the implementation and actualization of FUMS Oron,” the group said.