By Engr. Udengs Eradiri
An ocean-view city that will be made up of Nembe, Odioma, Twon brass, and akassa town is long overdue. Why these places? Simply because they are free from annual floods and have so much economic advantage to the development of Bayelsa as a state by virtue of their proximity to the Atlantic ocean.
The flood is a matter of national security so we must begin to think beyond tribal bias and plan for a city in an area that will be free from this kind of devastation, and for economic reasons we need to move closer to the ocean.
All powerful nations in the world today are ocean based. They make sure they develop around the ocean. Nations have fought so many wars in the past just for control of the ocean, the same as the current Russia and Ukrainian wars.
In my vision for a new Bayelsa, I have always dreamt of access to the ocean through the development of critical infrastructures like roads and railways to brass and around Bayelsa.
The advantages of that island are as follows:
1. Access to the ocean and the Gulf of Guinea the new frontier for oil and gas multinational operations. Zabazaba project, Egina, etc.
2. The industrial scale fishing industry can be quickly activated to boost the economy and create jobs. we already have a steady power supply in brass and cold rooms with room for expansion.
3. Presence of Agip oil company which in partnership can easily expand and support growth in maritime activities using their jetty to support building a state-owned port.
4. The abandoned airstrip can quickly be put to use and will be patronized for the servicing of the oil industry in the Gulf of Guinea, all you need is a heliport, hotel, and warehouses, for crew change alone you are in business.
5. You already have projects like the Atlantic refinery, the Brass fertilizer project, Aiteo, etc that will now be put on full speed as a result of access, especially the road. I am told the road project which ought to have been done years before now is ongoing credit to Governor Diri but I would have done it differently, faster, and used the project to create jobs and deliberately target the insecurity in that axis.
6.Opening up that axis will help curb pipeline vandalisation as the area becomes busy, oil installations become more visible, and then response time is shorter hence discouraging vandalism that is badly affecting monthly allocations.
7. Agip can be talked to, to revisit their planned $15b refinery project planned a few years ago, the fabrication industry like the abandoned Daewoo/Hyundai fabrication yard will be revitalized and ship repairs will boom and boost our economy
8. We can produce our salt as late Lionel Jonathan used to produce salt from the brass ocean, no more eating Dangote salt but we consume what we produce. Glass manufacture is possible with the abundance of glass-grade sand.
9. The tourism sector can be developed and beautiful ocean-view housing development will spring up cos of the presence of oil and other industry workers which will attract developers.
10. Will relocate the state assembly for even distribution of the arms of government to give a sense of belonging and rapid development as in South Africa, their parliament is in cape town while the executive seat is in Pretoria 3hours apart by plane. Executive arm Yenagoa (Central). Judiciary Sagbama (West) legislators Brass (East).
Let me stop here at the appropriate time we will bring out the comparative advantage of all the senatorial districts in Bayelsa and how we can grow ourselves by ourselves.
No investor will come to Bayelsa but investors will see and hear what is going on in your state and be struggling to come to participate.
Going to look for investors when you have done nothing and have no blueprint to implement is a waste of public funds.
