Knocks for Oyetola Over Claims of Placing 7,059 Cadets Onboard Vessels, Mariners Say it’s all Lies to Remain in Office
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Marine practitioners have berrated the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola over his claims of haven placed 7,059 cadets onboard vessels, describing it as political lies just to remain in office.
The Minister in a press statement recently stated that in addition to the seafarers placed onboard for seatime experience, 222 seafarers had been trained free of charge in basic and advanced professional courses, while 333 cadets had completed their academic training and been awarded degrees.
He said under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), a catch-them-young programme of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) 135 cadets had successfully completed the programme and obtained their Certificates of Competency (CoC).
In reaction to the story reported by DAILY TREND, the mariners on a professional networking platform; LinkedIn, disagreed with the figures posted by the Minister, saying that it does not correspond with the harsh realities and plight of Nigerian seafarers.
Jeremiah Ogunfuye, a Nautical Science Graduate said that “Honestly, this claim is hard to believe. As someone who knows how difficult it is for Nigerian seafarers to even get sea time, 7,059 placements sounds completely disconnected from the reality on ground.
“If this figure is genuine, please publish the details and records so people can verify it. We need facts, not figures just to make things look good.
In another reaction from Daniel Okon Daniel, a Marine Engineer, said that NIMASA has not placed upto 1000 cadets onboard for seaterm in 20years.
“Politicians should stop lying to their gullible listeners. Cadets are crying all over the streets seeking placement, Help them and stop the Politics”
Liberty Shilling, another Marine engineer described the Minister’s statement as “all political talks just to gain another year in office” while another seafarer, Godswill Edafiomah on his part urged the minister to name the cadets that have so far been benefited.
“Who are the cadets? Everything in Nigeria is politics”
Oyetola has spent three years in office, haven been appointment on August 21, 2023 as Nigeria’s first Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, a new Ministry created by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
