The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has denied media reports alleging that the beneficiaries of the Nigeria Seafarers’ Development Programme (NSDP) in the Philippines under its sponsorship have been ejected from their various schools over the inability of the agency to pay their school fees.
In a statement released in Lagos on Tuesday by the Deputy Director Public Relations of NIMASA, Mr. Isichei Osamgbi, a copy of which was made available to Primetime Reporters stated that “nothing can be further from the truth than this assertion”.
According to the statement, “to put the records straight, the school fees and other allowances of the NSDP beneficiaries in all the institutions of their studies is not only budgeted for, but are also paid up to date with all the students in the various institutions undergoing regular trainings uninterrupted”.
“For the avoidance of doubts, all the schools training the NSDP beneficiaries in the Philippines are standard institutions with websites for communication and enquiry purposes”.
The statement therefore advised that Journalists may wish to contact the various Universities involved in trainings directly for the correct position of the cadets in the event that they need further clarification.
“Journalists may therefore wish to contact the University of Perpetual Help Laspinas, the University of Lyceum and the University of Cebu directly for the correct position of these cadets should they require further clarification,” Osamgbi said.
