Pastor Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok: Realigning MAN Oron for global competitiveness

BY EDET OKPO

No one who knows or has worked with him and has curiously been observing his attitude and following his track record over the years ever doubted his capabilities and the promise he holds. What rather most concerned many of his admirers - and for which they fervently have been praying for - has been for God to give this great son of Oron ethnic nationality and Akwa Ibom State clear and greater opportunities to showcase to the wider world his God-given endowments in matters of personal idiosyncrasy, leadership orientation and administrative acumen. The man in the picture is Pastor Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok.

Therefore, when Providence partly manifested and Pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok was deservedly appointed, first as substantive Registrar, and subsequently covering duties as the Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, not few persons discerned that a prophecy was being fulfilled. However, the introspective were certain that the apocalypse will be in geometric progression. 

Pastor Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok joined the services of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron like any other staff. But because of his brilliance and sterling performance at every big and small tasks he was entrusted, he was later appointed the Registrar of MAN, Oron.

Expectedly, he became the engine room supplying constant steam to the administrative dynamics of the premier institution. Here he served for many fruitful years as he was found to be indispensable, with Rectors coming and going, but none of them never for once forgot but always appreciated how good it was that the Academy has such a rounded scholar, teacher, adviser and renowned professional in the person of Pastor Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok.

Mkpandiok Mkpandiok is no doubt a child of Providence who however takes no measure of it for granted. 

This explains why he is renowned for his unwavering commitment to serve and give his best wherever he is posted in the growth and development of the Academy. Having joined the Academy as lecturer, Mkpandiok rapidly grew through the ranks to enjoy an incontestable mention and his name has become a recurrent decimal in the transformation narrative of the Academy in contemporary times. At this point, I humbly beg to emphasize that this befitting eulogy of a great performer is neither intended to over-praise but a therapeutic sausage of encouragement and emulation for those who are aspiring to serve in position of authority within and without Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.

Perhaps unknown and unseen by mere humans, the office of the Registrar must have been a divine arrangement meant specifically to adequately groom and equip Pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok for the greater responsibilities that were to come his way in the imminent future. His meritorious appointment as the interim Rector of the Academy, following the unfortunate double-blow demise of the last two Rectors of the institution, Amb. (Dr.) Joshua Okpo and Engr. (Dr.) Anthony Ishiodu in quick succession, was therefore an exigent but fitting replacement that was to crystallize the Registrar and usher the Academy into a breathtaking phase that many analysts today describe as “a phenomenon” in administrative chronicle in just a short time. 

One index that influences the recognition of a Maritime institution by the world is her participation, productivity and general contribution to the national, regional and international Maritime Industry. Whereas Pastor Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok at the moment is apparently handicapped by national policies and bureaucratic red-tape, he has demonstrated astonishing introspection and leadership cum administrative prowess in keying into Federal Government’s blueprint to lay a solid foundation for the holistic overhauling and repositioning of the Academy to meet international best standards. This is very critical in whatever vision the Federal Government as a principal stakeholder has for this pioneer institution that has witnessed terrible storms of promises in its forty years of existence. That is why it is said that the Federal Government might not be able to achieve this without a trusted and functional leadership that Pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok is already providing without any pretentions. 

  

Time without number, it has been contended that the Academy does not need an angel to run its affair but a conscientious God-fearing individual who would judiciously harness available human and material resources to meet collective expectations. Put it more concisely, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron needs leadership more than personalities. She needs a happy and committed workforce as much as it needs a peaceful atmosphere to drive corporate vision and objectives. This is so because there is a fundamental correlation between staff productivity, corporate growth and development and a rancor-free working environment. This perhaps, among other things, could be seen as the strongest stepping stone Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok has laid towards uplifting the Academy to a world-class Academy. 

Considering the hitherto where staff would work under tension and with suspicion of Management’s motives no matter how altruistic such were, what Mkpandiok has achieved in the brief impactful spell he has served as Acting Rector is a proof of his pedigree, vision, tenacity of purpose and therefore a broad window to greater promises and better times if he is given the needed ratified and substantive authority to steer the ship out of the stormy sea that stands before us. Mkpandiok Ante Nkpandiok has become a catalyst and stabilizing effect on the psychology and work mentality of staff, cadets’ compliance with rules and regulation aimed at optimum performance and a deep sense of belonging among the host communities. Just few weeks ago, to give those who were due the fruitage of their labour, Mkpandiok has contributed to the upgrade of over 378 staff of the Academy whose promotions had been pigeon-holed for years by the Federal Government. 

That is not all. Host Communities now see him as the rallying point for amicable handling of issues and fully understanding Federal Government’s policies and programmes concerning the Academy. It can then be concluded that, for his success at engendering robust relationship amongst the critical sectors of the Academy’s community which has come with a new psychological hue and incentive, Mkpandiok has proved to be a nucleus of psycho-mental re-orientation which is what the Academy needs to accommodate the incoming positive revolution. He has also created functional and pragmatic mechanism to groom, train and retrain staff for optimum performance as the institution entertains the hope of being upgraded to a full fledge Maritime University. Of course, no one will be surprised if in the course of time Mr. Mkpandiok undertakes the writing of a manual for effective and result-oriented Maritime Administration in Nigeria.  Such will be a master-piece. 

In every effective administration, certain things are initiated or caused to happen when the authority sees that conditions are most appropriate for such.  That is why, with Mkpandiok on the saddle of the Rectorship of the Academy, the Federal Government saw it was time to expedite action and implement to the fullest all plans that may have been suspended in the past. Hence, for the necessity on ground, Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok has successfully hosted Members of the National Assembly on two momentous occasions when they came on Facility Tour of the Academy. On both occasions, the Law-makers had expressed satisfaction with what they saw and promised to stand by the Acting Rector in achieving more through expedited regulation. 

Again, Mkpandiok Mkpandiok has for about three straight weeks also hosted a 7-man Ministerial Committee led by High Chief Adebayo Sarumi, set up by the Federal Government to reposition the Academy. Some distant observers might be wondering why all these are happening now that Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok is on the driver’s seat. But the answer is not far-fetched. There is the implied belief in the Federal Government and among the Law-makers that Mkpandiok Mkpandiok is the right man in the right time with whom government’s reviewed policies and renewed energy for the uplift of the Academy could be executed.  May there then be no further delay.

Unsentimental Nigerians who know this dedicated public servant with unblemished record of service and successful family man who are also vindicated by his footprints are respectfully imploring President Muhammadu Buhari in his unbiased approach to issues of this nation as well as the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to mid-wife a safe transition of pastor Mkpandiok Mkpandiok to a substantive Rector of the Academy. This becomes even more logical as the Academy prepares to reposition itself holistically and launch aggressively into the comity of international institutions in the envisaged Maritime University. Accordingly, the appeal to the Federal Government to utilize Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok, at best, as a stop-gap paradigm in lieu of the impending transition ought to be seen as a foregone conclusion.  

Mkpandiok is not only qualified because he has the prerequisite qualifications for the contingency of breaking the jinx of no Oro Nation indigene never holding the position of the substantive Rector of the Academy, but aggregately because his immaculate and long record of service have portrayed him as a trustworthy steward and leader. One of the greatest advantages in Mkpandiok is that, having served for the years in the Academy, he not only knows but fully understands both the internal and ancillary workings of this great institution from individual staff to the cadets to the host communities vis-à-vis its corporate needs and possible solutions that can make a difference. 

The trust and confidence reposed in Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok by the Staff, cadets and the host communities are enormous and indicative of general acceptability and goodwill.  Mkpandiok preaches peace; Mkpandiok proclaims dedication to duty and commiserate rewards; he abhors dishonesty in all ramifications. 

Leaders are either born or made. But I should say that Mr. Mkpandiok Ante Mkpandiok, is a humble beneficiary of both providences in the context of his dedicated service to the Academy and humanity at large.