By Ogenyi Ogenyi,Uyo
A socio cultural organization, Oro Union has appealed to the Federal Government to seek for an appropriate and alternative funding for the construction of the 13km Oron-Calabar link bridge,a part of the East West Road project.
It has also called for the constitution of a Governing Board and appointment of a Vice Chancellor for the Maritime University at Oron to enable the institution fulfill it’s huge potentials and train high level manpower for the Maritime sector of the country.
President General of the Organization, Sir Esang Bassey who made the call during an interaction with correspondents in Oron last weekend expressed dismay over the lack of action from the FG on the project whose contract was awarded during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Bassey said the link bridge would reduce the cost and distance for movement between the South South/South East and North East and boost the movement of agricultural products between the two regions.
The President General said the abadonement of the Ikot Ekpene Odukpani dual carriage road has also made the construction of the bridge very imparative inorder to save commuters the harrowing experience on the abandoned highway.
He expressed sadness over the inability of the Federal Ministry of Education to constitute a visitation panel to the 45 year old Maritime Academy of Nigeria, two years after the bill that converted it from the Maritime Academy to a Maritime University was signed into law.
He said the Union had made representations to the Federal Ministry of Education and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on the matter and blamed some officials of the Academy for sabotaging the coming of the visitation panel.
On the alleged marginalization of the area by successive administrations in Akwa Ibom, the President General maintained that Oron, which was once the economic hub of the old Cross River State have seen it’s fortunes dwindle due to lack of economic and social infrastructures.
He expressed sadness that the area have almost been cut off from the state capital because of the refusal of the state government to complete the construction of an alternative road, after the old Oron-Uyo road was blocked to give way for the construction of the Victor Attah International Airport more than 16 years ago.
“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.
“Oron used to be the economic hub of the old Cross River State but when a port was built in Calabar, economic and business traffic gradually moved to Calabar. Akwa Ibom state government has not also helped matters by neglecting Oron in terms of infrastructural development.
“Oron was the first to host a telephone exchange in the present Akwa Ibom. People from other parts of the state used to come here not just for business but also to send messages to other parts of the world because of the exchange.
“Maybe other parts of the state think that when Oron is developed and empowered, the Oron man will proper more than other people, but this is not so. The prosperity of Oron is the prosperity of Akwa Ibom and untill the area is treated fairly, the economic fortunes of the state may not experience a turnaround.” Bassey said.
He also made a case for the state government to revisit the siting of the state Deep Seaport which though initially was made to be at Ibaka in Mbo Local Council but later moved to a new location for technical considerations.
On the unique and rich cultural heritage of the area, the President General said the over 29 branches of the Union withinand outside the country have constinued to observe an annual cultural day while efforts would be made to introduce a cultural carnival that would bring together all the branches to a central location.
