The President-General of the Oro Union, Sir Esang Bassey, has strongly decried what he described as the persistent marginalization of the Oro people in Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking during an appearance on the XL Super Breakfast Show, Bassey addressed the growing disparity between the Oro and Ibibio communities, pointing out that the socio-economic imbalance remains a pressing issue for the region.
According to him, the level of marginalization experienced in the Oro Nation is self-evident and requires little explanation, prompting him to challenge critics and leaders to visit the area personally to witness the current infrastructural realities.
A major point of concern highlighted during the interview was the prolonged lack of electricity in the Oro Nation, a hardship he noted has persisted for an extended period despite numerous appeals made to successive governors, commissioners, and other political leaders.
Shifting his focus to major regional industrial initiatives, Bassey alleged that the state government subsequently altered its original position regarding the Ibom Deep Seaport and Ibom/Ibaka Deep Seaport projects by attempting to relocate the development away from Mbo, a move he stated ultimately prompted the Federal Government to withdraw from the project.
In concluding his remarks, Bassey clarified that the Oro Nation harbors no opposition toward the Ibom Deep Seaport project as a whole, emphasizing that the primary concern of the people is safeguarding what they view as their natural seaport.
