UMSO backed by Law, MAN no longer exists – Oro Youth Movement

The Oro Youth Movement (OYOM) in Akwa Ibom State says the University of Maritime Studies Oron (UMSO) is fully backed by law and not in transition, contrary to claims being circulated by some former officials of the defunct Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN).

MAN, established in 1977, is currently being upgraded to UMSO.

The upgrade was approved by the national assembly in 2021 and signed into law in 2022, officially transforming the academy into a federal maritime university.

In a statement signed by its national president, Edet Eyo, OYOM accused former MAN officials of spreading false claims that the new university lacks proper legal backing and could weaken maritime training standards.

The group said MAN legally ceased to exist after the national assembly repealed its founding law and enacted the UMSO Establishment Act.

It alleged that members of the dissolved governing council are misleading the public with claims that the university could compromise standards and endanger 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 said.

OYOM added that upgrading the academy into a university aligns Nigeria with global maritime training models such as the World Maritime University in Sweden, the Regional Maritime University in Ghana, Dalian Maritime University in China, and the Australian Maritime College.

The group dismissed claims that university status would weaken cadet regimentation, noting that the upgrade followed years of planning under the federal ministry of transportation, now the ministry of marine and blue economy, with NIMASA investing heavily in modern infrastructure, including simulators.

According to OYOM, allegations that UMSO could threaten IMO standards, suffer inadequate funding, or destabilise security are “dangerous distortions designed to mislead the public and derail a national project.”

It said Oron has offered a peaceful, secure environment for maritime training for more than four decades, insisting there has never been any targeted security threat against cadets or staff.

The group claimed that fears of insecurity are fabricated attempts to weaken public confidence in UMSO.

“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,” it stated.

OYOM stressed that Oro Nation would not be marginalised, saying those pushing false claims are individuals holding onto positions already dissolved by federal law.

The group described UMSO as a national maritime legacy with a clear mandate and insisted its establishment cannot be reversed.

It added that the people of Oron remain united in defending UMSO “peacefully, lawfully, and relentlessly.”

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