Ibaka Deep Seaport: Oron youths urge Akwa Ibom Govt to allow FG handle project
Oron Youths Movement (OYOM), a civic rights organisation in Oron Nation covering the 5 LGAs of Oron, Okobo, Mbo, Urue Offong Oruko and Udung Uko has charged the Akwa Ibom State Government against further causing delay in the actualization of Ibaka Deep Sea Port, as previously conceptualized and planned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
OYOM says the Port’s construction must begin in no time except the state government would forget about building any other port facilities and International Jetties along the coast of Akwa Ibom State to avoid accumulated grievances that could degenerate into militancy.
OYOM points to a video clip now in circulation featuring the inauguration of the Steering Committee for Ibaka Deep Sea Port by the then Honourable Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar in 2012.
From the Video Clip, the youth group says, “it is clear to all that the Deep Sea Port was a Federal Government Project to be located at Ibaka in Oron Nation and accompanied by a Shipyard for drydocking of large Oil Tankers and an Export Free Trade Zone.”
It would be recalled that the Final Outline Business Case (OBC) for Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone was ready in April 2013 with approved Environmental Impact Assessment and ground breaking done for the Deep Sea Port at the desired location in Ibaka Bay.
Speaking further, OYOM, through its National President, Comrade Victor Mkpofor said, “Documentary evidence abound of how the then Governor Godswill Akpabio promised to commission the Deep Sea Port before leaving office in 2015.
“But for unfathomable reason, the Government of Akwa Ibom State which was only a minority shareholder in the Deep Sea Port project, ‘arrested’ the Final OBC before it could be sent to the FEC for approval in 2013.
“The Government of Akwa Ibom State then sponsored another Final OBC (Not a revision of the Final OBC of 2013) to be produced in 2014 by the same consulting company, that produced the the 2013 OBC with the location of the Deep Sea Port changed to a site called Seaside in Ibeno LGA and the name changed from Ibaka Deep Sea Port to Ibom Deep Sea Port.
“It is on record that while the 2013 OBC sponsored by the Federal Government utilised the Natural Harbour at Ibaka Bay, the New OBC sponsored by the Akwa Ibom State Government came with the design of a Dugout Port, taking six good years to get approval in 2020 without any EIA being carried out”, Mkpofor said.
The group states that Òròn People who were happy that at last the Natural Harbour of Ibaka Bay in Oron Nation has finally been utilized for a Sea Port, are devastated, as they consider the sad development as a continuation of their deprivation and marginalization because of their minority status in the state.
It would be recalled that when the Federal Government wanted to build a Port in the then South Eastern State, Ibaka Bay was the preferred location. But primordial ethnic consideration, influenced the Port to be taken to a location 84 Km up the Calabar River. The Calabar Port is now almost a failure.
“The Mobil Producing Nigeria already had presence at Ibaka and was planning to build their Operational Terminal in Ibaka when Brigadier-General U. J. Esuene, then Military Governor of the South Eastern State who was an Eket man, forced Mobil to either relocate the Terminal to Eket or pack out of the State. Esuene also forcefully annexed the Oil rich coastal land of Oro Nation to his Eket Division.
“Again, when Nigeria wanted to build an Export Refinery requiring a Deep Sea facility for easy load out of Products, Ibaka Bay was the preferred destination. It was the same primordial location politics that attempted to take the Export Refinery to an alternative location. Oron People protested and the Export Refinery was abandoned.
“We vehemently protest the purported attempt to relocate the Ibaka Deep Sea Port to be built as a Dugout Port in Ibeno LGA as a State Government Project. This is a deliberate and evil attempt to obstruct a Federal Government Project from coming to Oro Nation.
“The Government of Akwa Ibom State under Deacon Udom Emmanuel cannot obstruct the building of a Deep Sea Port at Ibaka by the Federal Government while rushing to facilitate the construction of an International Jetty at Ikot Abasi. This is unfair before man and God.
“OYOM and the entire Òrò youths are urging the Government of Akwa Ibom State to return the Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone projects back to the Federal Government without further delay to be built by the Federal Government as originally planned.
“This has become absolutely imperative since the Governor himself has openly declared that the concept of a Dugout Port, which was the basis of the Deep Sea Port at the Seaside location in Ibeno LGA cannot be contemplated in Akwa Ibom State.
“Udom Emmanuel should not by any illusion think that he can obstruct the Federal Government of Nigeria from building a Deep Sea Port in Oron Nation then go to build and successfully operate an International Jetty at a location near his own LGA.
“This will not be allowed to happen. The situation will surely give birth to avoidable militancy which will make the so called International Jetty in Akwa Ibom State inoperable if the Ibaka Deep Sea Port is not actualized” Mkpofor explained.