By Idu Jude
As Nigerian maritime administration and safety agency, NIMASA sends 24 cadets seafarers out for another maritime study abroad, the minister of transportation, Rt. Honourable Chibuike Amaechi has advised the young ones to be wary of the temptation of involving themselves in the illicit drug business, as such would mar their future.
The minister gave this warning in Lagos Friday during a short ceremony organized by NIMASA to send off Indian bound cadets for maritime training.
Amaechi while reminding the cadets to be good ambassadors of Nigeria said that the federal government of Nigeria presently regretted the attitudes of four Nigerians who went to China to study railway engineering, but were deported back to Nigeria by China authority because of their involvement in the illicit drug business.
According to the minister, “I must remind you that you should take your future in your minds. We can’t afford to be sending drug addicts abroad to study while they keep disgracing the nation. So you should be able to be good ambassadors of Nigeria. Let me tell you one experience we have. We sent about 20 students for a railway engineering study to China but about four of them came back because they were caught in drug-related issues. So we advise that you learn from this experience and like the DG said, some of you who may be opportune to work abroad I wish you good luck but some of you who are coming back, please there is much to do in Nigeria but the good thing is to have this opportunity first”.
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Speaking earlier, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Ibrahim Jamo, said the programme is part of the federal government’s initiative to equip the manpower for the survival of the Nigerian maritime industry. He further stated that his administration will continue to carry out government initiatives that are capable of placing Nigeria on the world map and also on economic advantage.
According to him, the effort to revamp the Nigerian maritime industry begins with the effort to empower the youth maritime education of sorts. “We well com educational programmes like this from international bodies and this is part of this administration’s effort to create opportunities for our youths who will be benefiting in the academic exchange programmes”
24 students are to embark on a journey from next week while others among the selected 200 cadets await clearance from the county off training. This session appears to be the fourth in a row that Nigeria has trained since the programme started.
