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The Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Joshua Okpo, is dead. Reports said he died Tuesday evening in Abuja, where he had travelled to for an official function.
A few weeks ago, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, ordered the probe of the accounts of the Maritime Academy and the tenure of its Rector over the N18 billion released to the institution.
Mr. Okpo, it was gathered, was expected to be at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning to discuss the academy’s budget with lawmakers.
Premium Times quoted a source as saying that when staff of the academy waited at the National Assembly complex for the rector and did not see or hear from him for several hours, they drove to his residence in Abuja, where they found him dead in his room.
Vanguard had reported on Tuesday that the late Rector had accused the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of starving the academy of funds.
Amaechi, it was learnt, summoned the Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Haruna Jauro and demanded explanation as to why the agency was starving the academy of its statutory five per cent funds.
“The NIMASA DG was really shocked by Okpo’s allegation and he explained to the Honourable Minister that NIMASA had regularly released money due to the academy,” a report said.
Jauro, it was learnt, also informed the Minister that NIMASA had released more than N18 billion to MAN Oron between 2009 and 2014.
It was at this point that Okpo, who also attended the meeting, confirmed to the Minister that the academy had actually received up to N13 billion since 2011 when he assumed duties as the Rector of the institution, the report added.