Oron Youths raise alarm over planned relocation of Ibaka Bay Port, send open letter to Akwa Ibom Governor

Michael Olumide

A civil liberty organisation, the Oron Youth Movement (OYOM), has written an open letter to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, urging him to reconsider what it described as the illegal relocation of the proposed Ibom Deep Seaport from the natural harbour of Ibaka Bay to another location for the construction of a dugout deep seaport.

The group warned that continued implementation of the project in its present form could trigger fresh agitation in the South-South region and called on stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the state government to reverse the process.

The open letter, titled: “Open Letter to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno PhD on the Plan to Relocate Ibom Deep Seaport from the Natural Harbour of Ibaka Bay to Elsewhere to be Built as a Dugout Deep Seaport in an Artificial Ocean Dugout from a Dry Land,” was also copied to Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS); former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The letter, made available to journalists in Abuja, was jointly signed by OYOM National President, Comrade Edet Eyo Mnse; National Secretary, Comrade Edet Iyahakwa; National Director of Women Affairs, Comrade Sylvia Ekpot; and National Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Victor Obiosio.

The organisation recalled that the Federal Government, under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, initiated plans in 2012 to establish Nigeria’s first deep seaport at Ibaka, leveraging what it described as the natural harbour advantages of Ibaka Bay.

According to the group, the then Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, constituted a Ministerial Steering Committee and Project Delivery Team to oversee the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Free Trade Zone project.

OYOM stated that extensive due diligence and site selection studies conducted in 2013 identified Ibaka Bay as the preferred location for the seaport.

It noted that an Outline Business Case issued in April 2013 estimated the project cost at about $2 billion due largely to the area’s natural deep-water advantage.

The group further recalled that the National Assembly made appropriations for the project through the Nigerian Ports Authority, while a groundbreaking ceremony was conducted at the selected location during the administration of former Governor Godswill Akpabio.

However, OYOM alleged that the project underwent major changes in 2015 following the establishment of an implementation committee by the administration of former Governor Udom Emmanuel.

According to the organisation, the committee, headed by maritime lawyer Mrs. Mfon Usoro, altered the original concept of the project by changing its name from Ibaka Deep Seaport to Ibom Deep Seaport and relocating it from the natural harbour at Ibaka Bay to a location exposed to ocean surge conditions.

The group also claimed that the committee transformed the project from what it described as a conventional seaport located along a natural bay into a dugout port to be constructed through an artificial ocean channel excavated from dry land.

OYOM said it had previously petitioned the state government and other stakeholders in 2021 after discovering the alleged changes, maintaining that concerns raised by Oron stakeholders contributed to the withdrawal of a prospective core investor from the project.

The group further alleged that former Governor Udom Emmanuel later distanced himself from the dugout port concept after discussions with stakeholders from Oron Nation.

It also referenced statements credited to Governor Umo Eno during his political defection ceremony in which he reportedly highlighted the availability of a natural harbour with significant draft depth in Akwa Ibom State as a major advantage for seaport development.
Despite this, the organisation expressed concern that the current administration was allegedly continuing with plans based on recommendations of the earlier implementation committee.

“The youths of Oron Nation note that the current government of Akwa Ibom State is still working with Barrister Mfon Usoro to implement the dugout deep seaport project which received approval in 2021,” the group stated.

OYOM called on the state government to retrace its steps and return to the original seaport concept approved by the Federal Government.

The organisation also questioned the role of a legal practitioner in coordinating a project it described as highly technical and engineering-driven, while cautioning prospective investors and foreign partners against entering into agreements on what it termed a “fictitious project.”

According to the group, firms reportedly engaged for the project include GMAPS of Singapore as transaction adviser, PwC as project manager and Interaf Group as partner and investor.

OYOM further alleged that significant public funds had been expended on the project since 2015 without visible progress on the ground.

The organisation additionally referenced past allegations involving Mrs. Usoro during her tenure as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), while questioning her continued involvement in the deep seaport initiative.

The group maintained that constructing a deep seaport outside the natural harbour of Ibaka Bay would be economically and technically difficult, insisting that the original location remains the most viable option.

OYOM represents youths from the five local government areas of Oron Nation, namely Oron, Okobo, Urue-Offong/Oruko, Mbo and Udung Uko in Akwa Ibom State.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Akwa Ibom State Government on the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.