Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Saturday, laid the foundation of the Institute of Transport and Logistics at the Gregory University, Uturu , (GUU) in Abia State.
The Institute, upon completion, will offer specialised transportation courses and is expected to provide specialised laboratories for Maritime and Oceanography, Aviation/Aeronautic, Designing and Construction Suites, Aerospace Engineering, Central Machining Tools Centre, Railway Engineering and simulation rooms.
Amaechi said, as Minister of Transportation, he is willing to partner and encourage the university in its initiative to educate Nigerians in the transportation and logistics field, taking advantage of the Federal Government’s development strides in Transportation particularly the rail and maritime sectors.
“We’ll see how we’ll partner with the university in the Ministry of Transportation, especially when we start the construction of the Bonny-Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line. “We are very particular about localising railway technology. That’s why we are training our people in China and even made them to build a transportation university and a wagon Assembly plant here in Nigeria,” Amaechi said.
While making the commencement speech at the University’s 8th matriculation ceremony, Amaechi narrated his political story, from his days as a student union leader, to speaker, governor and now minister. He encouraged the students to be diligent, have the fear of God and be courageous to ensure that they succeed.
Chancellor and founder of GUU, Prof. Gregory Iyke Ibe, said he was inspired by Amaechi’s developmental strides in the transportation ministry and the school is enthusiastic to tap into that sector and aid the growth and training of Nigerians to become professionals in transportation engineering and technology.
He said, “What we are doing here is to input technology, change methodology and, then, we are succeeding and one of the things that we must succeed in line with your agenda in the ministry is to have this institute here, so that we can now train everybody.