Senatorial aspirant task Akwa Ibom people to position themselves for Ibom Deep Sea Port

The former Commissioner for Works and Chief of Staff to the governor, Akparawa Ephriam Inyaneyen, has charged indigenes of the State to deliberately position themselves for the opportunities embedded in Ibom Deepsea Port.

According to him, failure to do so would create a window for outsiders to exploit and benefit from the expected Lagasse.

He made the call yesterday in Mbo while responding to a plea by a delegate during his consultation with party delegates for his 2023 Senate ambition.

A delegate, who was making remarks during the consultation, had charged the aspirant to ensure that when he gets to the Senate, he will personally be aggressively involved in advocating for and defending the collective interest of Ibaka people, who in her words are “principal host community of the Ibom Deep Seaport”.

Inyangeyen in his response advised Ibaka people and Akwa Ibom citizens to be more concerned about how best they can access opportunities in the seaport rather than being taken over by some sense of entitlement which is tantamount to waiting for manna from heaven.

According to him, youth, in particular, should match their expectations with self-improvement or capacity-building initiatives in core and related professional endeavors and skills, to place themselves at par with external interests or as first-line beneficiaries of opportunities inherent in the seaport.

“I would advise that Akwa Ibom people, especially youths, not hammer on rights of ownership or nomenclature, even though it has a lot to do with history, but on how they can become critical players in the project. Otherwise, what looks like a birthright could be compromised, and outsiders with the needed expertise and cognate experience in competitive areas may become landlords over us”, he reasoned.

With in-depth personal knowledge in the history of the gigantic project, the former customs officer with a wide range of experience in what makes a seaport, hinted that, Ibom DeepSea Port, like functional ports in Lagos and elsewhere across the world, is one big opportunity that Akwa Ibom people must never take for granted.