A ship building expert Mr Iniekong Udonwa has the Akwa Ibom State Government and it’s people have been losing not less than five million Dollars revenue over inability of its citizens to be involved in ship ownership and business.
Udonwa, chairman of Norfin Offshore Shipyard made the disclosure while briefing newsmen at the Norfin Offshore Shipyard at Oruk-Anam local government area of the state yesterday.
He urged Akwa Ibom people to develop interest in the maritime industry, adding that since the State produce 65% of crude oil in Nigeria, there was need for it’s people to get involved in the maritime sector.
“This is a money spinning investment, and Akwa Ibom is loosing 5Million Dollars daily following the inability of our own people to get involved in ship owning business and investment in the maritime sector. All we are concerned is politics.” He said.
The chairman also made a case for a state owned financial institution that would help the people access credit facilities to enable them acquire ships and invest in the nation’s maritime industry.
“We need an Akwa Ibom bank that would support our people to buy ship and invest in the maritime and oil and gas sector. If Akwa Ibom people can purchase 50 ships, that could generate about 50 million dollars revenue to the State.” Udonwa stated.
He said the Company has commenced building of security patrol vessels in Akwa Ibom State barely six days after an attack on its facility by suspected militants with the aim of reducing piracy and other heinous crimes in the nation’s territorial waters.
“We are now building security vessels to add value to Nigeria and reduce piracy in the country. The International Communities are shouting everyday over piracy, just last week they killed one crew member and abducted fifteen others at Turkish container vessels.
“This is the only shipyard in Nigeria that is going into ship building, others are only into maintenance and repairs.” He explained.
Udonwa hinted that the Federal Government Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have approached the company to train Niger Delta youths on ship building.
According to him, the training would avail the youths opportunity to become professional ship builders and that would enable them to get job in any part of the world.
“NDDC approached us and negotiate on training some youths interested in ship building from this area and we agreed to partner with them. Even Amnesty Nigeria has also approached us demanding cultists and militants to surrender their arms and be trained in the shipyard.
“This is going to open up the opportunity for our youths to be trained and provide employment. Our youths will receive first hand training so that when they are specialized, they could have access to build ships in Europe and other continent because people are looking for ship builders.
“We will soon embark on construction of other sea going vessels, including, ferries, barges, fishing trawlers among others.
“We need to build about four ferries for Calabar-Oron and another four ferries for Bonny- Port Harcourt. For Oron we are going to build a fishing fleet to boost the economy.
However, the shipyard would officially be commissioned by the state government on Saturday 30th January, 2021at the company’s ship yard in Oruk-Anam with the unveiling of ‘MV Norfin Swift’, a 9 meter security patrol vessel.
