Rivers Assembly Committee Inspects Isaka Sports Institute Over Calls to Restore Maritime School
ISSN: 2354-4481
By Lucas Azubuike Ukaonu
The Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petitions and Complaints has carried out an oversight visit to the Isaka Sports Institute in Okrika Local Government Area following growing demands by alumni and host community stakeholders for the restoration of the institution's original status as a maritime training school.
The inspection was conducted on the directive of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chike Martins Amaewhule, as part of the Assembly's constitutional oversight responsibilities.
The committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Enemi Alabo George, visited the institution to assess the condition of its facilities after receiving a petition from the school's alumni association and stakeholders from the host community.
The petition was presented before the House through Hon. Linda Somiari Stewart, the lawmaker representing the constituency where the institution is located.
The petitioners urged the Assembly to repeal the law that transformed the former Government Sea School, Isaka, into the Isaka Sports Institute. They argued that the conversion had diminished the institution's historical role in maritime education and called for its restoration as a specialised maritime training centre.
They also appealed to the Rivers State Government to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation of the institution, including rebuilding damaged structures, refurbishing existing facilities and providing modern training equipment.
According to the petitioners, years of neglect have left the institution in a deplorable condition, making it impossible for it to effectively serve either its current mandate or its former role as a maritime training institution.
During the inspection, members of the committee toured several abandoned buildings and deteriorating facilities within the institution to assess the extent of infrastructural decay.
Speaking after the inspection, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions and Complaints, Hon. Enemi Alabo George, assured the petitioners that the Rivers State House of Assembly had taken their concerns seriously.
He said the committee would carefully examine the issues raised in the petition and make recommendations in line with its legislative responsibilities.
George further assured stakeholders that the Assembly would deploy all available legislative mechanisms to ensure that the requests contained in the petition receive due consideration.
He noted that the oversight visit was necessary to enable lawmakers obtain first-hand information on the state of the institution before taking further legislative action.
The committee chairman also acknowledged the strategic importance of the institution to Rivers State's riverine economy and maritime development, stressing that educational facilities with significant economic value should not be allowed to deteriorate.
Stakeholders who accompanied the lawmakers reiterated their belief that restoring the institution to its original maritime mandate would create employment opportunities, revive technical maritime education and strengthen manpower development for Nigeria's marine and shipping industries.
They maintained that the former Government Sea School played a significant role in training sailors, seamen, marine engineers and other maritime professionals who contributed to the growth of the nation's maritime sector over the years.
The oversight visit is expected to form part of the committee's report to the Rivers State House of Assembly, which will determine the next legislative steps regarding the petition.
The visit also underscores the Assembly's commitment to ensuring accountability in public institutions and responding to concerns raised by citizens through established legislative channels.
If the recommendations of the petitioners are eventually adopted, the institution could witness a return to its original maritime training mandate alongside a comprehensive programme of rehabilitation aimed at restoring its relevance within Nigeria's maritime education sector.
The institution, originally established as the Government Sea School, Isaka, served for decades as one of Nigeria's notable maritime training centres, producing sailors, seamen, marine engineers and other maritime professionals. It was later converted into the Isaka Sports Institute through state legislation. Since the conversion, alumni and host community stakeholders have consistently advocated for the restoration of its maritime mandate, arguing that Rivers State's strategic position as Nigeria's leading oil and maritime hub makes a specialised maritime training institution essential for manpower development, employment creation and the growth of the marine and shipping industries.
