Transport Commissioner Reveals AKSG Marine Dev Plans

As part of its effort aimed at boosting maritime transportation in the state, Akwa Ibom State government has concluded arrangement to open up the Oron-Calabar route and other unveiled outlet in the state to provide travelers with a better alternative and best services that meet standard practice in water transportation as obtained the world over.

Speaking with Global Pilot, Tuesday in his office, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Godwin Ntukudeh said the maritime sector is a very vast area that can accommodate big time maritime business transactions and trade activities besides being used as routes.

“We have concluded arrangement to open up the Oron-Calabar route; we are also working earnestly to introduce the new line. We intend to introduce a line from Five star/ Nwaniba axis to the Tinapa in Calabar for executive travels. It could also mean that those who would come in from Tinapa can come in to play golf there and then return, because of the type of boats we are considering to be on that route to give such executive treats.”

He went further to state that, “But what we will also do is to ensure that the Oron axis to Calabar and to the Gulf of Guinea is also re-activated and made possible. We are considering that very seriously, and we believe that with the investor that we have found , everything being equal and when the governor is through with his appraisal, we will commence the take-off of operations. We have been able to activate series of activities.”

The Commissioner explained that government is re- injecting life back to the dormant beaches which are scattered across the state as economic activities are to be stepped up in such areas.

“We have begun to reactivate series of activities at the beaches that used to be dormant”. The beaches according to the Commissioner are in Ibeno, Itu, Ibiono Ibom, Oron, Uruan and Eastern obolo. He hinted that government is engaging the private sector in the Nwaniba water ways transport development initiative, adding that the Ministry of Transport has identified the maritime sector as a gold mine that needed to the properly harnessed with the involvement of stakeholders in the sector in order to boost the revenue profile of the state.

Dr. Ntukudeh disclosd that the state has the longest coastline in the country, occupying 129 kilometer stretch of coastline which positions the state strategically as an economic hub within the gulf of guinea. Throwing more light on steps being taken by government to harness the maritime resources of and avenues that abound in the state, he revealed that the Governor was working tirelessly to ensure the commencement of Ikot Abasi Jetty, a public-private partnership initiative that will turn Akwa Ibom to a Singapore of some sorts.