A high-wired plot to obstruct the actualisation of the Ibaka Deep Seaport project within the deep waters of Akwa Ibom State, by some highly placed persons working in tandem with some officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been uncovered.

Daily Sun checks revealed that the plot is being hatched by some opposition (APC) governors and some highly placed Nigerians to obtain an ‘obnoxious letter’ from the NPA with a view to presenting the seaport project as not viable.

The plot, investigations revealed, was designed to ensure that the Ibaka Deep Seaport Initiative does not see the light of day, thereby paving way for development of new seaports in other parts of the country.

It was gathered that the conspiracy against Akwa Ibom State seeks to discredit the seaport project under a ‘non-viability cover’, despite the fact that the Federal Government had set up an implementation committee to facilitate preparatory works and captured the project in the 2014 budget, having been convinced that the port would boost the nation’s economy and that of the West African sub-region.

The Akwa Ibom State Government in collaboration with the NPA is planning to develop a Deep Sea Port within the Ibom Industrial Free Trade Zone to facilitate economic development of the South Eastern part of Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

Checks by Daily Sun further revealed that in December 2012, the government had engaged international consultants to assist NPA in the execution of preliminary technical, bankability and feasibility studies which found the project viable and bankable with proven economic development capabilities within the region.

Sources revealed that the choice of Ibaka for the proposed seaport dated back to 1952 by the British government, and a feasibility study to that effect submitted to the British Crown even before the shallow and inland water ports at Calabar and Port Harcourt were established.

Maritime analysts posited that Ibaka is the most viable location for the seaport, going by the deep sea draught of 16m, which would need no dredging as well as the strategic proximity of the proposed port to the corridors of the main Gulf of Guinea and the commercial cities of Aba and Onitsha, noting its nearness to Exxon Mobil and other major oil concerns as well as the Sao Tome and Principe is a great advantage to the nation’s economic drive.’’

An investment expert advised those plotting the failure to look elsewhere, saying no right thinking government would allow such a huge economic opportunity to be sacrificed on the alter of blind politics against principles of justice and fairness particularly for a state that was the highest crude oil producer and biggest contributor to national wealth.

He said it would be counter-productive to the ongoing Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan and a great disservice to both the South-South and West Africa’s hope for economic renaissance.

On the commitment of Akwa Ibom State Government to ensure that the project was a reality, officials of the government said the Akpabio administration had done all necessary preparatory works and that the state had made a huge financial commitment to its realisation, which included and acquisition of 14,400 hectares of land, appointment of transaction advisors as well as the setting up of an implementation committee to help drive the initiative.

State officials said the state governor’s readiness in supporting the Federal Government and other investors to actualise the dream was unshaken.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=63711

If only gov Akpabio focused on getting this project up and running while he had his PDP & SS man at the center. But alas, he was busy frolicking & dancing atilogwu with Jonathan in Aso Rock, while using his ill-gotten wealth to intimidate his people.

We southerners like to blame everyone else for our woes. Tell me: Why did Jonathan not get this Ibaka Seaport project running? Why did he not resuscitate Tinapa? Why did he not begin the environmental cleanup of the Niger Delta region as recommended by UN report? Why are all the federal roads in the SS region still in a terrible mess? Has Jonathan awarded any oil block to a SS person?

Tomorrow we will blame Buhari (Hausa) or OBJ (Yoruba) for marginalization. Same thing as we Africans blaming the West for all our problems when we Africans are more of a problem to our continent. Smhh!

any project such as these,am from akwa ibom and these project has been on paper since 2002.

stop the rap.

akpabio us a fraud.

That port is the game changer in the east. Watch how industry, trade and commerce will just go off the chain in that region

Why did GEJ not do it? For the immediate future, its dead on arrival!!!

waternogetemeny:
That port is the game changer in the east. Watch how industry, trade and commerce will just go off the chain in that region

And what did GEJ do about it for 6 years?

Imagine if this project comes to reality

Ibom seaport layout

ibom layout 2

That's a post from a confused, misinformed and used fellow.

Only God knows how much Akpabio had use that project to fleece the state and you are here ranting nonsense.

If Akpabio had had any good intent towards that project, he would have completed and commissioned it long before now. Between The I aka Deep Seaport and the 4-Star Sheraton at Ikot Ekpene(now in finishing touches) which would have had economic impact on the state.

Let no man blame another for his woes.

THE GAME CHANGER FOR LAGOS.

it is still possible team ss/se will work on that trust me we are free .



power to ss/se

This is why Jonathan is a very foolish man, or perhaps he was distracted for long by Boko haram.

However, if Yorubas think they can continue to work against the economic progress of other regions by making sure only the Lagos ports work, they should be ready to continue contending for the ownership of Lagos with others and also suffer the effects of overpopulation and the strain on Lagos inftastructures.
You can't have your cake and still eat it.

TRIBALSTOOGE:
it is still possible team ss/se will work on that trust me we are free .



power to ss/se

Of course you are free since 2002 when the project started on paper.

Trailer highway to Aba and Onitsha

Idrismusty97:
And what did GEJ do about it for 6 years?

unu use boko haram distract am na.

The title of this thread can cause tribal e-war. The mods should take note.

This has been their game since the end of the civil war in order to maintain Lagos as the singular port.

They also directed all Oil companies to have their corporate headquarters in Lagos.

But I didn't see any Yorubas there??

My suggestions would have been for the easterner to import their goods via the douala deep sea transshipment port in Cameroon and use trawlers to bring the goods to Aba via the opobo river,until such a time that the niger deltans the are awake to their responsibilities
Mean while the port is less than the distance to Lagos port.

sCun:
This is why Jonathan is a very foolish man, or perhaps he was distracted for long by Boko haram.

However, if Yorubas think they can continue to work against the economic progress of other regions by making sure only the Lagos ports work, they should be ready to continue contending for the ownership of Lagos with others and also suffer the effects of overpopulation and the strain on Lagos inftastructures.
You can't have your cake and still eat it.

when i see ignorant nigerians like u i SMH.... there is portharcourt,warri,onne and onitsha inland port,and yet the east is still crying and blaming the GOOD people of the south west who provided a good economic environment for the development of there region....y dont the so called ibo traders use those ports mentioned above? jonathan was there for 6 yeARS and did nothing....u idiots now blame the yorubas for your FAILURES.[b][/b]

PPAngel:
This has been their game since the end of the civil war in order to maintain Lagos as the singular port.

They also directed all Oil companies to have their corporate headquarters in Lagos.

Oil company workers keep getting kidnapped, extorted and their installations bombed in the S.S region.

Surely they can't want to stay in such an environment.

kettykings:
My suggestions would have been for the easterner to import their goods via the douala deep sea transshipment port in Cameroon and use trawlers to bring the goods to Aba via the opobo river,until such a time that the niger deltans the are awake to their responsibilities
Mean while the port is less than the distance to Lagos port.

Nahh... we are not at war with Yorubas, at the end of the day we are still one Nigeria, would you rather service charge is paid to the Cameroonian government than our own government ?

Yorubas no doubt are reaping immensely from the one port policy of the government, and still at it, insulting and seeking to commit genocide (via the Lagoon). having said that, the money the reap still finds its way into the economy, more money to buy your brothers Yamaya generator etc.

kettykings:
My suggestions would have been for the easterner to import their goods via the douala deep sea transshipment port in Cameroon and use trawlers to bring the goods to Aba via the opobo river,until such a time that the niger deltans the are awake to their responsibilities
Mean while the port is less than the distance to Lagos port.

Very unrealistic suggestion.
Useless

tobtap:

when i see ignorant nigerians like u i SMH.... there is portharcourt,warri,onne and onitsha inland port,and yet the east is still crying and blaming the GOOD people of the south west who provided a good economic environment for the development of there region....y dont the so called ibo traders use those ports mentioned above? jonathan was there for 6 yeARS and did nothing....u idiots now blame the yorubas for your FAILURES.[b][/b]

all these ports are shallow ports.

macjive01:

Brain dead mofo, what stopped jonathan, the clueless drunkard from building you a seaport after spending six wasteful years in office?

What of apabio? Why didnt he build the Ibaka seaport instead of that meaningless stadium

Marina port now Marina Resort was the first port established in what is now known as Nigeria.

Since the British moved the capital to Benin in fear of German Cameroon in the East and to take part in more trade with the French in the west, Marina port slowly lost it's place.

With the advent of independence, the Yorubas had been successful to maintain their port monopoly with Lagos by entering trade with the north.

The SS and SE region still exported large quantities of Cash crops but with the advent of electricity, the lucrative palm oil trade which used to light up oil lamps in England saw a drastic reduction in port activities. Besides, the southeast coastline was dotted with smaller ports which were meant mainly to export cash crops like Timber, Cocoa, Rubber and palm kernel.

Below is an Old of pic of palm oil barrels up along the Calabar port destined for export aboard ships

"Maritime analysts posited that Ibaka is the most viable location for the seaport, going by the deep sea draught of 16m, which would need no dredging as well as the strategic proximity of the proposed port to the corridors of the main Gulf of Guinea and the commercial cities of Aba and Onitsha, noting its nearness to Exxon Mobil and other major oil concerns as well as the Sao Tome and Principe is a great advantage to the nation’s economic drive."

Akwa Ibom should involve Abia and Anambra states in this. 3 governors working to actualize the project will speed up things and lessen Akwa Ibom's financial burden.