Ibaka Bay best location for Deep Seaport, says Oron Advisory Committee Chairman

Michael Olumide

Chairman, Oron Advisory Committee on the Ibaka Deep Seaport, Engr. Okon Nkpubre has declared that the Ibaka Deep Seaport project is too important to be overlooked or politicised, urging the Akwa Ibom State Government to reconsider its decision to relocate the project from its originally approved site at Ibaka Bay.

Nkpubre made the call while reacting to Governor Umo Eno’s recent appeal to the people of Oron Nation over the lingering controversy surrounding the Ibom Deep Seaport project.

In a statement released over the weekend, the maritime advocate said Oron people have never opposed the establishment of a deep seaport in Akwa Ibom State, stressing that their objection is solely against the relocation of the project from Ibaka Bay and the adoption of the proposed Dugout Deep Seaport concept.

According to him, the people of Oron are not opposed to the change of the project’s name from Ibaka Deep Seaport to Ibom Deep Seaport, but are concerned about the movement of the project from its original location.

“Oron Nation has consistently supported the development of a deep seaport in Akwa Ibom State. Our concern has always been the unjustified relocation of the project from its approved site at Ibaka Bay,” he said.

Nkpubre disclosed that he had previously engaged the immediate past Commissioner for Ibom Deep Seaport, Mr. Ini Ememobong, on the matter and submitted documents detailing the concerns of Oron stakeholders, with the expectation that the governor would be properly briefed on the issues.

He noted that the position of Oron Nation had been clearly stated in a petition endorsed by the paramount rulers of the five local government areas in Oron Nation and signed by several prominent sons and daughters of the area.

The committee chairman explained that stakeholders opposed plans to excavate about 1.5 square kilometres of land to a depth of 18 metres to create an artificial harbour for a Dugout Deep Seaport, describing the proposal as environmentally and technically contentious.

Nkpubre also rejected allegations that Oron people were responsible for the withdrawal of French logistics giant, Bolloré, as the preferred core investor in the project.

According to him, Oron stakeholders merely petitioned the company after repeated attempts to draw the attention of the state government to their concerns over the relocation of the project yielded no meaningful response.

He further disputed claims that the proposed Ibeno Seaside location falls within Oron territory, maintaining that the site lies entirely within the political boundaries of Ibeno Local Government Area.

Tracing the history of the project, Nkpubre recalled that the Federal Government announced plans in 2011 to establish a deep seaport at Ibaka, alongside a Mega Shipyard and a Free Trade Zone, after studies identified the area as one of Nigeria’s most suitable maritime locations.

He explained that a Ministerial Steering Committee and Project Delivery Team subsequently carried out extensive due diligence studies and selected Okposo in Ibaka Bay as the preferred site for the seaport project.

According to him, feasibility studies on the original site projected a development cost of approximately $2 billion and identified the project as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s maritime sector and the West African sub-region.

Nkpubre argued that relocating the project denied Akwa Ibom State the opportunity to develop one of the largest integrated maritime infrastructure projects in West Africa, including facilities for the integration and maintenance of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and supertankers.

Citing a 2015 technical study on Ibaka Bay, he maintained that the original location possesses favourable natural depth characteristics that would require minimal dredging for deep seaport operations.

He also questioned the credibility of the site-selection report used to justify the relocation of the project, alleging that the assessment lacked the scientific rigour and statistical methodology required for a project of such magnitude.

Despite his reservations, Nkpubre commended Governor Umo Eno for his humility and leadership disposition and appealed to him to revisit the concerns of Oron stakeholders in the interest of fairness, justice and sustainable development.

He insisted that the future of the Ibom Deep Seaport should be determined by objective technical considerations and the findings of established due diligence studies rather than political interests.

The Ibom Deep Seaport project remains one of the most debated development initiatives in Akwa Ibom State, with disagreements over its location continuing to generate intense discussions among stakeholders across the state.