Government of Akwa Ibom State at the weekend deepened its ongoing dialogue with the Oron Nation towards the actualisation of the Ibom Deep Seaport (formerly proposed as Ibaka Deep Seaport.
This is as communities in the immediate catchment area in Oron Federal Constituency have resolved to support the project.
The Oron Nation had been opposed to the project due to its alleged relocation from the original Ibaka site in Mbo local government area of the state (which is said to have a natural draught for the project) to another location in Ibeno local government area. The Oron Nation also kicked against the change of name of the project from Ibaka Deep Seaport to Ibom Deep Seaport.
But the state government has insisted the port project is best suited at the new location in Ibeno. The port project which is expected to create hundreds of jobs and recently approved by the Federal Government has been mired in dispute over the location and alleged name change.
The Udom Emmanuel-led Akwa Ibom government has, nevertheless, assured that the project would be in the interest of the entire state and called on all stakeholders to close ranks and work towards its actualisation.
At a breakfast meeting between key stakeholders from the area and attended by Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Hilltop Mansion in Uyo, the state capital, the community resolved to work towards the realisation of the project.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting, secretary to the state government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, explained that the seaport was part of the ‘Ibom brand’ and ought to excite every Akwa Ibom person.
Ekuwem, however, commended the governor for responding to the anxieties of the Oron people as a critical component of the state and holding a dialogue session with them.
He said the parley had addressed hitherto held misinformation, disinformation or inadequate information on the Ibom Deep Seaport project.
“The meeting with the governor demands that each heart should bear that this seaport spans about 2.5kms away from the motorable part of Unyenge road, after Universal Energy in Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom State. Second point; the mangrove swamps where you have the office complex is on the hard soil of Mbo, and there is no cause for alarm”, Ekuwem said.
President-general of Oron Union, Etim Ante, who led the delegation from the Oron Nation to the meeting, said: “We have decided that the dream must not die; that the dream must be actualised.
“We commended the efforts of the governor for securing the approval of this much-touted seaport. Successive administrations came on board, talked about this seaport without practically doing what the governor has done. As Oron people we are ready to work as a team,” he said.
Ante called on investors in the project not to withdraw from this project, assuring that Oron people will welcome all investors and stakeholders involved in the project.
