By Prince Thomas Abi Jr| 14 July 2015| 5:41am
The importance of the proposed Cross River Deep Sea Port can not be over emphasized because of the huge benefit the State stands to gain.
Nearly everything we use in our daily lives are all from sea plying vessels. From costumes, to cars, kitchen utensils, home appliances and many more are mostly shipped into the country through water. And in turn most of our goods are shipped out of the country through water.
Today the government of Cross River State has a lot of challenges ranging from huge debts, poor infrastructure and many more.
The deep sea port if constructed would provide the People of Cross River State a huge opportunity. The sea port would boost the economic activities of the State.
It can be recalled that Seaport played a vital role in the development of any state or nation. There are center of Commerce, trade, which control the dynamics of modernization in any society.
Seaports are where goods and services are imported and exported. There are where goods make their first landing. The Cross River State Seaport stands a chance of opening our State and neighboring States and country in no distant time.
The proposed Cross River Deep Sea Port if constructed would build and grow international and local Trade and strengthen the economy of the State. The Cross River Seaport on completion has the capacity to create thousands of jobs and help increase the standard of living of the Cross River People. And also connect the State with the rest of the world.
The proposed Seaport on completion has the strength to generate huge revenue and increase the Gross domestic product (GDP) of the State in no distant time.
The proposed Seaport is a laudable initiative because it would open the chances of the State becoming the leading tourism hub in Africa where people would not only come for visit but come and visit and do business. This is a double added advantage to the State. It would attract more visitors and investor into the State by improving the fortunes of our business owners.
Many a time people have asked me if the Ayade Signature Projects is a reality and I told them that it is for sure a reality. Why do I say it is a reality? It is a reality in the sense that the Seaport and the Super Highway are two projects that would open the State in the shortest possible time. While the Seaport opens Cross River State to the international community by promoting business and interrelationship with other countries.
The Super Highway would do the job of transporting these products from the Seaport to other parts of the State and country. By so doing, improving the economic fortunes of the Cross River People. Let's we forget, the highway cuts across the state and by so doing the products of our farmers can be either exported to other countries of the world or to other States of the nation.
Looking at the deep Seaport, it is a project that is going to salvage the State from economic backwardness in the long term. The People of the State should be watching out for the long term benefits and not the short term basis. It has been observed that Cross River State is referred to be a civil service State, but with the implementation and the emergence of the proposed Seaport, the State would be consolidating and not de-consolidating. The activities of our People and those of our visitors and our young men and women would take a different dimension.
While we await the signature projects of the present administration, the people of Cross River must keep their hope high and continue to support the dream of Senator Prof. Ben Ayade for coming out with an alternative of removing the State from a backward and slow State to a state with a robust economy in the shortest possible time.
Prince Thomas Abi Jr.
Is a Public Affairs Analyst /Social Commentator
