The government of Imo state has commenced the construction of the first ever Marine University in Africa at Ose-Moto, Oguta local government area of the state.
The state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who addressed newsmen shortly after inspecting the site, said that with the issue land now settled, work would soon commence. Governor Okorocha said that the university will be the first of its kind in Africa and would be of benefit to the community, Imo state and by extension Nigeria.
The Governor revealed that the first phase of the project will cost about N2.5 Billion which include the construction of the perimeter fence, landscaping, administrative blocks, class rooms and hostels.
He also said that Imo State Oil Producing Development Commission (ISOPADEC) that is funding the project has enough funds in its coffers to complete the project, assuring that the university will be ready to admit its first set of students in the next two years.
The governor further explained that the state government is collaborating with Korean Marine University after ISOPADEC board visited institution to understudy its programmes.
Governor Okorocha commended people of Ose-Moto community for donating their land for the university close to the river and the site of federal government sea port and a naval base project which he noted would be of great advantage to the institution.
Also speaking, Dr. Henry Uzor Okafor, the Managing Director of ISOPADEC, collaborated that the commission has financial capacity to complete the first phase of the project which would cost about N2.5 Billion in a swoop.
He expressed appreciation to the governor for giving approval of the site stressing that Ose-Moto people are eager to see the project succeed having donated their land for the university and to the
federal government for the naval base and sea port.
He averred that the project, when completed will benefit the oil producing areas of Ohaji Egbema and Oguta LGA in areas of employment as well as provide opportunities for the youths in the area to acquire university education that can guarantee them employment in the oil companies that operate in the state.
Mbisike N.C
Government House Press
June 17, 2013

SOURCE: DAILY POST DOT COM DOT NG

Poster: www.facebook.com/endy.edeson

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What happened to building the nation's first medical center?

Nigerians spend billions on medical tourism each year in India, Saudi, Germany, The U.S.

WHat happened to Imo State University? Is it among the best in the World? No. Is it the best in Africa? No. Is it the best in Nigeria? No. Is it the best in the East? No.

Yet who manages it?

Apga governors are a disappointment.

mens dept: What happened to building the nation's first medical center?

Nigerians spend billions on medical tourism each year in India, Saudi, Germany, The U.S.

WHat happened to Imo State University? Is it among the best in the World? No. Is it the best in Africa? No. Is it the best in Nigeria? No. Is it the best in the East? No.

Yet who manages it?

Apga governors are a disappointment.

Relocating Imo State university to a more quiet environment with room for expansion was Okorochas first initiative and the usual people induced Owerri natives to resist it and it almost polarized the State. Rochas had to give up on Imo University. IMSU is located at the heart of a city with very small land mass and no room for expansion and yet the opposition politicized its relocation. Oguta deserves all the attention alongside Ohaji/Egbema because we are the oil producing area in Imo State. The only reason crime and militancy is minimal there is because many are well educated and widely traveled.

.

Abagworo:



Relocating Imo State university to a more quiet environment with room for expansion was Okorochas first initiative and the usual people induced Owerri natives to resist it and it almost polarized the State. Rochas had to give up on Imo University. IMSU is located at the heart of a city with very small land mass and no room for expansion and yet the opposition politicized its relocation. Oguta deserves all the attention alongside Ohaji/Egbema because we are the oil producing area in Imo State. The only reason crime and militancy is minimal there is because many are well educated and widely traveled.

Must he relocate IMSU to Orlu his home town? There is expanse of land around Owerri to relocate IMSU to to avoid any ill feelings. The problem with Rochas is that he doesn't think through his proposals. He just wakes up from sleep to announce anything he likes to the world. Even this one, mark my word, may eventually not see the light of day unless he is talking about building a faculty of Marine Services for the Multi Campus IMSU.

Abagworo:



Relocating Imo State university to a more quiet environment with room for expansion was Okorochas first initiative and the usual people induced Owerri natives to resist it and it almost polarized the State. Rochas had to give up on Imo University. IMSU is located at the heart of a city with very small land mass and no room for expansion and yet the opposition politicized its relocation. Oguta deserves all the attention alongside Ohaji/Egbema because we are the oil producing area in Imo State. The only reason crime and militancy is minimal there is because many are well educated and widely traveled.

How many acres of land do you need to develop IMSU Tony Abagworo? Sitting a university on a very large expanse of land is no longer in vogue as it‘s very difficult to maintain. He could pull down all the makeshift structures of the former state secretariat and build whatever structure he wants instead of wasting money the state doesn‘t have building a new university. Most departments in IMSU are facing closure as a result of non accreditation when the state has 2.5b naira to spend.
This is the same Rochas who embarked on the building of new general hospitals when the existing ones have not being properly run and maintained needless to say work on those sites have been abandoned since last year.
There‘s no sense building a new university when the one you already have is begging for fund and infrastural development. As per moving the university to Okporo, question is must he moved it before it can be developed, besides Owerri has every right to protest the relocation, thats the same thing Orlu and Okigwe would have done so cut that out barrister.

With this development, Rochas has become the first Nigeria governor to build two brand new universities

kutchs:
How many acres of land do you need to develop IMSU Tony Abagworo? Sitting a university on a very large expanse of land is no longer in vogue as it‘s very difficult to maintain. He could pull down all the makeshift structures of the former state secretariat and build whatever structure he wants instead of wasting money the state doesn‘t have building a new university. Most departments in IMSU are facing closure as a result of non accreditation when the state has 2.5b naira to spend.
This is the same Rochas who embarked on the building of new general hospitals when the existing ones have not being properly run and maintained needless to say work on those sites have been abandoned since last year.
There‘s no sense building a new university when the one you already have is begging for fund and infrastural development. As per moving the university to Okporo, question is must he moved it before it can be developed, besides Owerri has every right to protest the relocation, thats the same thing Orlu and Okigwe would have done so cut that out barrister.

Owerri can as usual present whatever flawed and deceptive arguments in its arsenal to defend retention of all the universities and polytechnics in Imo state in Owerri alone, Imo state University MUST eventually be relocated to Ogboko or anywhere else in Orlu area, unless the state government establishes another government-owned university with multi-faculties in Orlu. Aside the cities in West Africa, Orlu is the most densely populated area - a senatorial zone with 12 LGAs. It's therefore sinful of govt for not having a govt-sponsored multi-faculty university in Orlu zone.

If Gov. Okorocha fails in either relocating IMSU to Orlu zone or building another government multi-faculty university in Orlu, he has severely narrowed his political fortunes in Orlu area. We are all waiting. How much development and money does widening existing roads in a town and building market stalls in it bring to the area?

All the 6 federal and state tertiary institutions of learning in Imo state are in Owerri, with about eighty thousand (80000) students population. (Mind you, Imo state Poly is technically in Orlu zone, but Owerri hosts much of its students and staff). The state university teaching hospital, the only thing Imo state government has in Orlu has about four hundred (400) students population alone; therefore, the argument that IMSU is multi-campus, and since Orlu has the teaching hospital, the main IMSU campus remains in Owerri does not hold justice in it. Okigwe has no academic institution in it. Why must Owerri merit hosting all these tertiary institutions of learning, while Orlu and Okigwe deserve nothing?

Look, creation of new state is not coming today or tomorrow. Was late Gov. Enwerem kind to all in Imo state when he located IMSU in Owerri notwithstanding that FUTO, POLYNekede, Alvan Ikoku C. Education were all in Owerri then? And people in Orlu have since then petitioned successive governments of Imo state to relocate IMSU to Orlu area. The fact that past federal or state governments located those academic institutions in Owerri must not be translated by Owerri people to imply that the institutions are owned by Owerri. Above all, Owerri city cannot sustain all these institutions stuffed inside it.

Finally, you people of Owerri have to live and let live in Imo state - see reasons with other people outside Owerri zone. Since 1976, nearly 90% of income of Imo state have been lavished on Owerri, at the expense of development in Orlu and Okigwe. What do you people really want?

kutchs:
How many acres of land do you need to develop IMSU Tony Abagworo? Sitting a university on a very large expanse of land is no longer in vogue as it‘s very difficult to maintain. He could pull down all the makeshift structures of the former state secretariat and build whatever structure he wants instead of wasting money the state doesn‘t have building a new university. Most departments in IMSU are facing closure as a result of non accreditation when the state has 2.5b naira to spend.
This is the same Rochas who embarked on the building of new general hospitals when the existing ones have not being properly run and maintained needless to say work on those sites have been abandoned since last year.
There‘s no sense building a new university when the one you already have is begging for fund and infrastural development. As per moving the university to Okporo, question is must he moved it before it can be developed, besides Owerri has every right to protest the relocation, thats the same thing Orlu and Okigwe would have done so cut that out barrister.

My name ain't Tony and the University would have been moved to "Ogboko" in Ideato and not "Okporo" Rivers State. This one is a marine university and Oguta has the water resources so there's no dispute.

kutchs:
How many acres of land do you need to develop IMSU Tony Abagworo? Sitting a university on a very large expanse of land is no longer in vogue as it‘s very difficult to maintain. He could pull down all the makeshift structures of the former state secretariat and build whatever structure he wants instead of wasting money the state doesn‘t have building a new university. Most departments in IMSU are facing closure as a result of non accreditation when the state has 2.5b naira to spend.
This is the same Rochas who embarked on the building of new general hospitals when the existing ones have not being properly run and maintained needless to say work on those sites have been abandoned since last year.
There‘s no sense building a new university when the one you already have is begging for fund and infrastural development. As per moving the university to Okporo, question is must he moved it before it can be developed, besides Owerri has every right to protest the relocation, thats the same thing Orlu and Okigwe would have done so cut that out barrister.

My name ain't Tony and the University would have been moved to "Ogboko" in Ideato and not "Okporo" Rivers State. This one is a marine university and Oguta has the water resources so there's no dispute.

Abagworo:

My name ain't Tony and the University would have been moved to "Ogboko" in Ideato and not "Okporo" Rivers State. This one is a marine university and Oguta has the water resources so there's no dispute.

Sorry on the name mix up, my bad. The question is can Imo State adequately maintain two universities? I don‘t think establishing a university should be an issue but properly funding it.

@amakenny pls leave me out of the politics of location. My concern is funding, even you must agree it‘s a genuine one. Reading through ur post one will get the impression that IMSU has received little attention from Rochas bc of its location in Owerri. If by any chance that‘s true then it‘s very unfortunate.

Like baba OBJ said."Hahaha...na laugh i dey laugh". What are we discussing here?Marine spirit or marine university?make i hear word jor.con man wey dey talk rubbish!

kutchs: @amakenny pls leave me out of the politics of location. My concern is funding, even you must agree it‘s a genuine one. Reading through ur post one will get the impression that IMSU has received little attention from Rochas bc of its location in Owerri. If by any chance that‘s true then it‘s very unfortunate.

You now want to be left out of university location discourse. But you and Goddex - presumably from Owerri - started the IMSU location argument here. Goddex even used the usual Owerri people's blackmail/character assassination talk which they deploy against Gov. Okorocha: "Gov. Okorocha relocating IMSU to his village." Is Okorocha's village not in Imo state? What is wrong in having IMSU - one out of six tertiary institutions in Imo state - in Ogboko? Why must the six institutions remain only in and around Owerri?

I'm not from IMO but building another university when the current one is still lacking is criminal.
As for the dude screaming owerri bla bla bla you are part of the reason why Nigeria is like this. Quality will always trump quantity.
A good university any where in IMO will benefit IMO than having mushroom universities all over the place.

A-ZeD:

A good university any where in IMO will benefit IMO than having mushroom universities all over the place.

You made a very good contribution. The large and very tranquil site in Ogboko which Imo state government has been developing for permanent location of IMSU is more likely to have IMSU become a better university than what it is now - located in the heart of Owerri, or anywhere near it, where it is struggling for space and resources with other universities like FUTO, Alvan, the surrounding Polytechnics, etc.

Making Nigeria what it is today?
No, those resisting a state government that wants to locate an institution it funds in a better learning environment are the people who make Nigeria what it is today. And sorry, you are most likely to be one of them in disguise.

That's good news. There are only 3 maritime institutions in the whole of Africa. One in Ghana, one in Egypt, and the one in Oron akwa ibom currently being upgraded to a university. It's good to know Nigeria is paying attention to the maritime industry. But i don't think 2.5billion can do much. You need a simulator, a ship and so many other things, even the maritime academy at Oron has no ship despite being funded by the Fg. But all in all, it's a good start.

All the tertiary institutions in owerri both state and federal are located in Owerri senatorial zone.what is wrong in having the marine institution in Orlu? Oguta is the best place to have such institution because of the lake. Relocating IMSU too is not a bad idea because the school is congested as of the year i graduated from there. I don't know if the former Secretariat is part of the institution now . Owerri can't have everything leaving Orlu and Okigwe out of the limelight.

berem: All the tertiary institutions in owerri both state and federal are located in Owerri senatorial zone.what is wrong in having the marine institution in Orlu? Oguta is the best place to have such institution because of the lake. Relocating IMSU too is not a bad idea because the school is congested as of the year i graduated from there. I don't know if the former Secretariat is part of the institution now . Owerri can't have everything leaving Orlu and Okigwe out of the limelight.

See, you guys are just very local. My goodness. So clannish and village based. Dayum.

What is Orlu and Okigwe? Glorified villages. Even Owerri, its not a world class place.

Im opposed to wasting that amount of money building what is going to turn out to be another quack school called university when you can revitalize, renovate, and remodel IMSU to World class status. All those Ikoku college and this polytechnic and that are nothing but African standard places that amount to the same local levels our parents parents begun as something revolutionary.

Some pple on here leave substance to chase after shadow, really unfortunate making a case for location when the most important issue of funding has not been addressed. The IMSU I left 14 yrs ago hasn‘t changed much even when we have ‘an education friendly‘ governor. Most state universities in Nigeria are mere advanced secondary schools and we have 2.5b naira that could be used to improve facilities at IMSU for it to meet accreditation requirements being wasted on a new university. It doesn‘t make sense at all. This is akin to a man who can‘t fuel his honda car going to but a Mercedes V booth car. Stupid and silly.

Good move @Oga Rochas.

kutchs: Some pple on here leave substance to chase after shadow, really unfortunate making a case for location when the most important issue of funding has not been addressed. The IMSU I left 14 yrs ago hasn‘t changed much even when we have ‘an education friendly‘ governor. Most state universities in Nigeria are mere advanced secondary schools and we have 2.5b naira that could be used to improve facilities at IMSU for it to meet accreditation requirements being wasted on a new university. It doesn‘t make sense at all. This is akin to a man who can‘t fuel his honda car going to but a Mercedes V booth car. Stupid and silly.

Clannishness tends to make some people ignore the issues at stake in concentration of all tertiary institutions in Imo state only in Owerri: On conservative estimate, there are close to one hundred and thirty thousand (130,000) tertiary education students, staff and education-associated population already in Owerri. That population alone and the social vices they engender in the small town make conducive and real learning next to impossible there. When IMSU is relocated as planned, the youths of Owerri (if they can not go out to Orlu or Okigwe for studies) must still have enough university places in Alvan, FUTO, and perhaps a smaller IMSU campus that is most likely to remain in the present site.
You ought to know this: There is a lot of bad blood being generated in having all these institutions only in Owerri.

Very wrong name...

Okkkk.....

Hope.

Gud

This rochas is too cosmetics and ill informed.He is just a bloated political syntax.
Imo State does not need more university.They should be redevelopment of the existing Imo state university.
The crops of students there speak Ibo mixed english.In the palace of engliibo
They should re engineer the school and make it a strong university of repute.
Wait a moment,Marine university for what? Sea or Land
Rochas okorocha is simply an illetrate
Keep eating corn.The cosmetics people Governor

Marine University is quite a funny name but as Ekwah will say,

"A good education trumps all frivolities.

I believe education to be the greatest catalyst with which the lives individuals can be transformed. In Maya Angelou’s words “When you know better you do better.”

Hope dis is not another attempt 2 divert our fund.The first proposed Imo new university at Okpoko was cornered to a private university at d middle of d road,we need some honesty pls.Dis wil be a 9ice idea if what hapened 2 d former will not hapen 2 it.

Ok wen dem finish make dem inform us. #450,000 per head.

In good faith, Amen.

The solution is simple.Let the people of Owerri constituency alone return him to office since other zones can't benefit from the same govt....chikena!