ORO NATION AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR IBOM DEEP SEAPORT PROJECT

Leaders of Oro nation, comprising the five local government areas of Oron Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State have declared their resolve to support Governor Udom Emmanuel’s drive to actualize the Ibom Deep Seaport project.

The state government on its part has assured that the Ibom Deep Sea Port project will be in the interest of the entire state and has called on all and sundry to close ranks and work towards its actualization.

This was the outcome of a breakfast meeting between the Oron Stakeholders and Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Hilltop Mansion in Uyo.

Addressing Government House correspondents after the closed door meeting, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, explained that the seaport was part of “Ibom” brand and ought to excite every Akwa Ibom person.

Dr. Ekuwem however commended the governor for responding to the anxieties of the Oro people as a veritable 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 His Excellency 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 office complex are on the hard soil of Mbo and there is no cause for the alarm”, Ekuwem said.

The President General of Oro Union, Mr. Etim Ante, who led the delegation from Oro nation to the breakfast meeting, lauded the strides of Governor Emmanuel in bringing the seaport dream to reality and affirmed the support of the Oro people to the project.

“We have decided that that dream must not die; that the dream must be actualized.

"We commended the efforts of his Excellency for securing the approval of this much touted seaport.

"Successive administrations came on board, talked about this seaport without practically doing what His Excellency has done. So we are happy with him because he has shown to us that he is a world class manager of human and material resources to actualize the dream of Akwa Ibom people and indeed Oron Nation, in having the deep seaport”, he said.
Mr. Ante said the meeting laid to rest anxieties among the Oro people over the location, commending the Governor's sensitizing explanations on the issue of location of strategic features of the seaport.

"He has briefed us. He has sensitized us on how the seaport is going to work out.

"We have expressed our grievances, His Excellency and indeed the government of Akwa Ibom State have addressed those grievances and those grey areas that affected us, which have to do with location of strategic features of this seaport.

"As Oro people we are ready to work as a team.”

He called on the investors in the project not to withdraw from this project, assuring that Oro people will welcome all investors and stakeholders involved in the project.

Media Unit
Govt House, Uyo
10/07/21

Let's watch if federal government will allow it