Akpan Umoh, Uyo
Coastal communities in Akwa Ibom state have called on the Federal Government to ensure the protection of their business community in the area from sea pirates.
The President-General of Oro Union, Mr Essang Bassey, in a press conference on Sunday in Oron decried the menace of sea pirates in Oro Nation.
He mentioned the five local government areas making oro nation as; Oron, Udung Uko, Mbo, Okobo and Urue-Offong Oruko.
Bassey opined the state and Federal Governments should allow ex-militants to support governnment security agencies in combating sea pirates in Oro Nation.
“Just like the Federal Government engaged Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tantita firm, to police the waterways of Niger Delta against pipeline vandals and oil thieves on high seas, the same should be done in Akwa Ibom state.
“I recall that ex-militants from the state particularly the ones from Oron federal constituency approached me and suggested that they should be allowed to combat the menace of sea pirates in our waters.
“I think the state government can use them to protect our maritime corridor from these criminals who have made life unbearable for us.
“If this is not done, the blue economy potentials will remain a mirage. Therefore, we are appealing to the Federal and state governments to think towards this,” Bassey said.
The President-General of Oro Union also decried the marginalisation of the Oro by successive administrations in Akwa Ibom.
“Successive administrations in the state have robbed Oro people of development over the years in terms of strategic infrastructure and key projects, especially the major Uyo – Nsit Atai road travesing into Oro.
“Such politics of exclusion could be seen in failure of both the state and Federal Governments to effectively implement the Ibaka Deep seaport project, whose original status and nomenclature had been altered to become Ibom Deep seaport,” he said.
Bassey argued that the development of infrastructure in Oro will bring the real development in Akwa Ibom stressing that the state will not develop until Oro nation develop.