Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, has now commenced operations, inviting job applications for academic staff, just as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a significant increase of the take-off grant from N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, the Minister of Niger Delta said in a statement on Saturday.
The Minister added that the grant has been included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly earlier this week, under the Federal Ministry of Education allocation, superseding the previous provision of N2 billion for the university.
He added that the presidential approval for the N5 billion budget allocation was based on the recommendation of a committee in the Ministry of Education tasked with the activation of the university.
The Minister also said the President has also approved an immediate release of another N1 billion to the university to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment.
“The Maritime University authorities have commenced the process of hiring staff with advert placements published in the Punch, Vanguard, and Sun newspapers, blogs and other online outlets.
“In the published academic staff vacancies, the Maritime University is now hiring professors, readers, senior lecturers, lecturers, assistant lecturers and graduate assistants to teach in the faculties of Science, Maritime Transportation, Maritime Engineering & Technology, Maritime Environmental Management and General Studies.
“It would be recalled that under the New Vision for the Niger Delta, which followed the President’s meeting with PANDEF leaders last November, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities and the issue of the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government,” the Minister noted in the statement.