From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governor of Akwa-Ibom, Umo Eno, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has asked him to submit a memo on his requests for federal government’s support for Ibom Deep Seaport, the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport as well as its oil palm programme.
Eno, who said he was at the presidential villa to wish the President a happy new year as well as discuss the requests, revealed that the state being an oil palm zone is capable of producing palm oil both for internal consumption and for export.
The Akwa Ibom governor had in June 2023, sought President Tinubu’s assistance for the completion of the Ibom deep seaport and an export license for the free zone at the facility.
Briefing State House Correspondents on Wednesday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa Abuja, Eno affirmed that the sea port has the depth that has the capacity to bring in ship from across the globe while serving the entire Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria.
The governor said the President also asked him about the profitability of Ibom Air since government has no business in business, to which he assured him that the Akwa Ibom State Government was not involved in running the business, hence the profit was being ploughed back into its expansion.
He said: “We talked and I requested him to support us with our Ibom deep sea port and oil palm programme.
“The President has graciously granted that I bring the memo of the requests and including MRO (Maintainance Repair and Overall) of course, the President is a businessman, he had to also ask, are we making profits running Ibom Air. Because government has no business in business and I told him government is completely out of the running of Ibom Air. Ibom Air is making profit and they are ploughing it back for expansion. I also told him about our airport, the second taxi-way is on, we have the new terminal, we have the MRO and he was pleased to hear that.”
Eno, speaking on the support for Agricultural programme on the palm oil industry, said it has been moribund for 28 years.
He added that the State needs the full support of the Federal government to completely have a full value chain while creating employment for the people as well as help the country.
The Governor who described the State as a palm oil zone, said it can export if given the necessary support.
He said: “Akwa Ibom is an oil palm zone. And we have started the process of revamping the moribund industry that has laid there for 28 years. It is being revamped right now. We need the support of the federal government to be able to have a full value chain and then bring people to work and be able to help Nigeria.
“We can even get to exporting palm oil, because right now, we’re still importing a lot of it.”