- Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola (left), and Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, during the courtesy visit to the minister in Abuja…Wednesday
By Anthony Nwachukwu
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has assured the Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Edet Otu, that he would not allow bureaucracy slow down the actualisation of the Bakassi Deep Seaport project.
Speaking Wednesday when he received the governor on a courtesy visit, Oyetola noted that the natural depth of the seaport, which the Cross River Government put at between 17 to 21-metre deep, would reduce the cost of capital dredging.
“Once the deep seaport comes up, it will place Nigeria as the hub of trans-shipment in the African region,” the ministry quoted Oyetola to say. “Because of the low drought of our major seaports, most large containers that are meant for Nigeria are diverted to other African countries.
“So, I see the project as a welcome development and I assure you that we will drive the project as fast as you want, and I assure you, bureaucracy will not have a way here.”
Otu had explained that he was at the ministry to seek the minister’s collaboration for the project, billed for public-private partnership, to succeed.
According to him, the project is part of the state’s strategic integrated infrastructure plan to promote and facilitate trade around that corridor, with a view to stimulating the state’s economy.
While commending Oyetola for laying a solid foundation in the ministry, Otu noted that with the minister’s private sector background, he was sure about the success of the seaport project.
