Owaza Seaport Project: Taking The Game Of Deceit To An International Height
By Uche Aguoru
Governor Otti should know that the mind of every Abian is not malnourished to the point that we should all start cheering most of his highfalutin speeches meant for media razzle-dazzle
Having carefully studied Governor Otti’s actions and speeches, I have identified so many gaffes that suggest that my governor is not in touch with the environment he governs, thereby making those who describe him as an helicopter politician sound correct
I listened carefully to the speech made by the Abia governor at the South East Economic and Security Summit In Owerri, As beautiful as the speech sounded, I was embarrassed that my Governor is yet to know that there is no DEEP SEA at Owaza in Ukwa West LGA and that what we have in OWAZA can best be described as an ESTUARY which cannot carry a seaport.
Governor Alex Otti who contested the Governorship of Abia state three times before succeeding at his third attempt is expected to have toured round the state on each of those occasions and should have had a fair knowledge of every important landmark in the 17 local governments of the state.
What happened yesterday at the summit in Owerri simply gives endorsement to the name “Helicopter Politician”
While I welcome every idea or policy that will bring development to the state, your address at the Southeast summit which part of it states that your administration is proposing to site a seaport within the Owaza industrial cluster, and the state is set to perform the flag off tomorrow Saturday 31st of September 2023.
Sir, unless it is by way of your administrations’ usual mad hunt for media validation and attention or poor understanding of the Owaza zone in Ukwa West, there is no way you can site a seaport at Owaza knowing that the relevant factors that are directly related to the siting of a project of that nature such as adequate depth, shelter from waves and sea currents, good logistic access, etc are not present. the estuary in Owaza cannot carry barges and the closest to a stagnant river is at Odagwa in Eche LGA of Rivers State.
The closest Abia state has to siting a seaport will be in Azumini River in Ukwa East which was also pointed out at the same summit by the President of Ohanaze Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu who stated that already they are working on realizing that vision of having the Azumini seaport.
What can be more embarrassing than this, that someone from a neigbouring state is now showing a governor the potential present in his local environment?
Does it mean that Governor Otti is rushing to waste Abia’s money on flagging off a project that was not subjected to a thorough process of identifying the potential of such investments?
What about the Enyimba economic city an ongoing project that that has passed through all the requirements and now enjoys the buy-in of investors which includes EPZ status and 20% equity by the federal government of Nigeria?
Is this not a confirmation that Dr. Otti is deliberately playing politics with something as serious as a seaport in the Southeast or is it confirming what we have always known that Dr Alex Otti does not really know the state he is administering?
While it is not practicable to site a seaport at Owaza, if Governor Otti goes ahead to flag off the seaport in Owaza tomorrow then know it that this administration have taken the game of deceit to international height.
Aguoru
Writes From Umuahia
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