BEVERLY HILLS, April 18, (THEWILL) –Â Host communities of the Ibom Deep Seaport have been urged to consider the benefits of the project instead of succumbing to suspicions and antagonistic tendencies capable of discouraging foreign investors and further delaying the project.
The Chairman, Technical Committee for Ibom Deep Seaport, Barr. Mfon Usoro, bared the minds of the state government at the weekend, while addressing Leaders of the host communities at Oro Union Secretariat, Oron LGA.
On his part, the Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Sea Project, Mr. Akan Okon, said over 300,000 jobs would be provided by the port to Akwa Ibom youth and urged the host communities to focus on its positive impacts rather than displaying negative attitudes.
“I have said this many times, the project is a vast one. It would attract many Industries to the state. I believe that there would be a balance sheet in terms of employment in the state, “he maintained.
Usoro briefed the stakeholders on detailed components of the Seaport Design to include 10 terminals, Marine Service Centre, Industrial City and other facilities. He
He said it would attract to Akwa Ibom businesses and tourists from neighbouring countries such as Gabon, Central African Republic (CAR), Equatorial Guinea as well as others along the West African coast.
She explained that the Ibom Deep Seaport was more of a Federal Government project, as all the processes emanating from the Technical Committee were approved by the Federal Government because port operations were captured under the Exclusive List.
She said: “Everything we do under this project is approved by the Federal Government as the project spans through 14,800 square meters of the dry land on Oron seashore away from the Atlantic Ocean. The Federal Executive Council gave approval on 16th December 2020.
“The procurement process of Ibom Deep Seaport has been adjudged to be the best and adopted by Federal Government.”
According to her, the interests of the area and entire state were accommodated in the scheme of things.
The Secretary to the State Government Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, lamented the animosity within the host communities as a result of the name and location of the project, adding that such matters should not arise at the early stage of the project.
Ekuwem explained that the name change from “Ibaka Deep Seaport” to “Ibom Deep Seaport ” was to reflect the rebranding of state-owned projects and institutions as carried out on other facilities by the Udom Emmanuel administration in the state.
Ekuwem maintained that the intention was not to short-change the host communities, as widely speculated in the social media, but to give a status brand to government facilities .
The SSG emphasised that it would be difficult for him to be part of such politics to short-change his people being a bonafide son of Oro community.
 He encouraged youths of the host communities to prepare for opportunities that would be provided by the seaport through business and employment.
“Why the name of Ibaka Deep Seaport was changed to Ibom Deep Sea Port was to build a brand name for state owned institutions. Therefore, the nomenclature of the port was a non issue. I have explained this to Oro people in 17 fora where stakeholders met to brainstorm on this name,” he stressed.
