I’ll order my goods through Calabar Deep Sea Port – Atiku

By Tunde Opalana

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has promised to put into full operation the Calabar Sea Port if he is elected president of Nigeria.

This, he said is one of the economic blueprint of his administration.

Atiku made the promise in Calabar, Cross River State on Monday at the PDP presidential campaign rally.

The presidential candidate said if the Calabar port is operational, it will be shorter and economically advantageous for him to transport his goods to Yola in Adamawa State than to ferry the goods through the Lagos port.

Atiku said “before I join politics, I was into maritime business, one of the ports in Cross River that we came to open here and start business and that was why when I was the Vice President and the issue of the development of Calabar Port came up I gave my total support, so that the Calabar Deep Port can be constructed for the benefit of the people of the state, South South and Nigeria as a whole.

“I have factories in Adamawa, if the port in Cross River is functioning I will not take my container to Lagos port, because it is shorter for me to take my containers from here to Yola.

“What I am trying to say is that when we open up the Calabar Port, the Eastern flank of Nigeria will be served by the port and that is very massive business and employment opportunities for the people of the region.

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“One thing you must understand is that the moment the Calabar Port is functional it will be an attraction to factories and businesses and it will be to the benefit of Cross River State.”

Speaking further on plans by the PDP administration under him to open up the economy through modern agricultural development, the former vice president said the presence of the port will make the agricultural potentials multiplied.

He said “so it is going to be a golden opportunity for the people of the state and I promise you, if you vote for the PDP for the president and the governor we will work together with your legislators to make sure that we implement the policies that have been grounded by the APC” adding that since APC came to power that project was dead,.

“Let me also assure you that your agricultural exploits will be to your benefit, there is the issue of infrastructural development, the road network linking you with neighboring states and the proposed railway from Lagos through Calabar to Port Harcourt. I promised you this would also be done.

“Another very inspiring policy of ours is the policy of restructuring of the country, by restructuring we mean, reducing the powers and resources of the Federal Government and giving them to the states and local governments. So that you will hold your leaders responsible for your development and progress, this will make the Federal Government less powerful, the powers and resources will be deployed to the states for your benefit.”