A Youth group under the aegis of Con ference of Niger Delta Youths Representatives (CNDYR), has kicked against the relocation of the proposed Ibaka Sea port from Mbo Local Government Area to Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
The President of the group, Mr Harry Johnson told the newsmen in Oron Local Government Area on Tuesday.
“We are now calling on the Presidency to reverse the relocation of Ibaka sea port back to Ibaka instead of Ibeno Local Government Area,’’ he said.
The group also argued that reasons offered by a foreign consultant and transaction advisers, FELAC Concept and Marine and Transport Business Solutions, MTBS, of Netherlands for the relocation of the sea port were illogical and baseless.
He noted that the projects had been moved to the third sites since the inception of the proposed project, saying that the name was changed from Ibaka to Ibom.
Johnson alleged that it was criminal to say that Ibaka sea port lacks the viability of its nautical location as the proposed deepest seaport and dredging free.
“It is false that Ibaka Sea Port was not commercially viable to Nigerian economy due to its long distance from the sea and the dense population of the area.
“ Ibaka sea port which is drainage free, have been in Mbo for years, it has gotten to a point where the port should be kick started and relocation just cuts in,’’ he said.
He alleged that some persons bribed the Minister of Transport and others to set up foreign consultant and transaction advisers to relocate the proposed seaport.
He threatened to sue the Ministry of Transport for alleged conspiracy to truncate the sitting of the proposed seaport in Ibaka and appealed to President Jonathan to intervene in the matter to avoid impending crisis.
The youth president also said that the group had written several letters to relevant government and maritime agencies, but regretted there was no response till date.
Johnson accused the Akwa Ibom government of playing politics with Ibaka sea port, saying that the proposed relocation was politically motivated.
“How many years will it take to dredge the sand in order to have a deep water to be a sea port? Ibaka is the deepest sea port in West Africa and is the best,’’ he said.
In an interview with a maritime expert, Prof. Ekpo Antai, Head of Institute of Oceanography, University of Calabar also confirmed that Ibaka in Mbo local government area was most suitable for the sitting of the proposed maritime project.
According to him, Ibaka sea port has the deepest port, viable with commercial advantage and suitable in the nautical locations.
Efforts to reach the state Information Commissioner, Mr Aniekan Umanah was unsuccessful as his phone rang without response, also a test message sent to his phone was not replied.
Our Correspondent recalled that the project analysis done by a foreign consultant and transaction advisers, FELAC Concept and Marine and Transport Business Solutions, MTBS, of Netherlands, showed that the port project would not be commercially viable if sited at Ibaka due to its long distance from the sea.
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