The Bakassi Deep Seaport project -initially envisioned as a transformative development for Cross River State – is now under serious scrutiny for being unviable and potentially misaligned with the state’s best interests.
Despite the state government’s signing of an agreement to advance the project on September 20, 2024, my ongoing investigation and background checks have led me to believe this project may be more a financial maneuver than a legitimate infrastructure effort.
The signs suggest a venture that risks falling short of its promises while redirecting public funds with minimal oversight.
At its core, the Bakassi Deep Seaport project faces critical geographic and jurisdictional challenges that, from a professional standpoint, are almost insurmountable. For the port to meet the depth requirements essential to functioning as a true deep seaport, extensive dredging would be required both horizontally and vertically across challenging territories. On one side, any dredging would cut into Akwa Ibom State territory, an area that the Supreme Court has ruled no longer belongs to Cross River State. On the other, it would enter waters guarded by Cameroonian forces, raising complex jurisdictional issues and risking diplomatic conflict.
Given these constraints, developing the seaport within the specified Bakassi region is not only geographically challenging but nearly impossible under current territorial limitations.
Financially, the Bakassi Deep Seaport project poses a significant burden for Cross River State, which is already grappling with limited financial resources and outstanding obligations.
Deep seaports, by their nature, require substantial upfront capital investment and ongoing maintenance costs. Cross River lacks a concrete financial strategy for repaying such an investment, which raises serious concerns about sustainability. Past advisories from financial and maritime experts warned of these obstacles, but the administration has largely ignored them, pushing forward in a manner that suggests intentions may lie beyond practical infrastructure development.
The technical and financial hurdles are compounded by the geopolitical complexities surrounding the Bakassi region. The Cross River State government has not yet addressed these legal and diplomatic issues adequately, nor has it laid out the essential infrastructure that would make a deep seaport viable. The region’s proximity to contested waters and dependence on extensive dredging make it not only an unfeasible site but a potentially expensive misadventure that could drive the state into deeper financial instability.
This raises the question: why, then, is the administration determined to proceed? The current trajectory suggests that this project may serve as a channel for misappropriation, with funds diverted under the guise of development efforts that may never come to fruition. Gov. Otu’s administration has continued to champion this project despite clear professional advice highlighting its risks, signaling a governance approach more focused on short-term financial maneuvering than on sustainable economic growth or the welfare of Cross River residents.
What is at stake is not just the wasted potential of a promising infrastructure project, but the broader issue of governance priorities in Cross River State.
By advancing a project fraught with geographical, financial, and legal barriers, the administration has cast doubt on its commitment to genuine development. The Bakassi Deep Seaport may indeed be “dead on arrival,” serving as a stark illustration of governance driven by questionable motives rather than a vision for sustainable progress.
To shed light on these issues, I am compiling a comprehensive report that will include all relevant findings, supporting evidence, and a detailed analysis of the potential financial mismanagement within this administration. The citizens of Cross River State deserve transparency, and I am committed to bringing these matters into the public domain for greater accountability.
