- Set to boost economy as game changer
BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – The Federal Government has approved the construction of Bakassi Deep Sea Port in Cross River State, signaling a historic investment opportunity meant to create thousands of jobs and serve as a transformative engine for regional economic growth.
Consequently, the Cross River State government (CRSG) has urged indigenes of the State to embrace the project by accessing land for medium and small scale ventures within the catchment local government areas of Akpabuyo and Bakassi.
According to the State government, by actively participating in and supporting this landmark Deep Sea Port project, local residents and businesses will secure the first opportunity to reap the economic benefits and investment returns generated once the project is completed
The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the State Governor, Chief (Dr) Emmanuel Ironbar spoke about the iconic initiative while flagging off activities marking the mega endorsement rally for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Prince Bassey Edet Otu for another tenure in office slated for Ikom Local Government Area.
Chief Ironbar also said Cross River is so fortunate to emerge as one of the key states in the country to be favoured with Federal Government investments and development projects, listing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway legacy project among them.
He highlighted a strategic shift in the project’s execution, which moved from a single-point start to a synchronized, dual-front approach commencing simultaneously from both the Lagos and Calabar axes
“As I speak, the multiplayer effect of such an approach has led to the engagement of over. 70 youths from the State as staff of the company executing the job and not less than 50 are already undergoing the acquisition of skilled knowledge in various areas of welding, fabrication and other technical fields of construction courtesy of the same construction company”, Chief Ironbar said.
The Governor’s aide argued that opposition figures would gain nothing by criticizing the administration without basis, stating that actual achievements on the ground clearly contradict the narrow, limited perspective held by some critics.
Further challenging the opposition and critics to visit the site where the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway bridge links Cross River and Akwa Ibom, Chief Ironbar said a visit would enable the public to appreciate and know if the legacy project is a scam as earlier insinuated in certain quarters.
Chief Ironbar, who is the Director General of “Prince Is Coming Again”, a political support group set up to canvas votes for the re-election of President Tinubu and Prince Otu, urged the voting public to be “wary of opposition parties that present themselves as enemies of government by day, but come knocking on our doors at night for financial assistance.”
