By Olaniyi Ajibola
The late English Novelist and Essayist, George Orwell, best known globally for his powerful anti-utopian novel, “Animal Farm”, in his brilliant description of political naivety wrapped in sheer pontification once said,”Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”.
Sincerely, the recent remarks credited to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) senatorial candidate for Ogun East, Alhaji Abdul-Hameed Omotayo, describing the widely celebrated $7bn deep seaport project in Ogun State, recently sealed in Paris in the presence of Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as ‘broken promise’ is not only bizarre to every sound mind, it profoundly exposes political emptiness.
The fact remains that it is either Alhaji Omotayo is not the type that listen to news and among those who consider reading newspapers as a waste of time but prefer to pick information from beer parlour conversations or decided to say something as a senatorial candidate of a political party not minding the substance of such commentary.
In any case, making such remarks in the face of present reality has a serious negative implication on an individual aspiring to become a lawmaker as well as the political platform he is representing. The Senate is fundamentally meant for individuals with sound mind and not for people who are quick to make comment in the absence of logic.
Strictly speaking, the Gateway Deep Seaport Investment represents a major milestone in the annals of the state and serves as a significant achievement in the quest for economic diversification through marine economy, which is presently at the front burner of global conversation on investment and growth beyond oil.
In the full glare of the global community, Ogun State Government and the renowned DP World MEA FZE signed Memoranda of Understanding towards the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone, with an inherent prospects of more than $7 billion in initial investment as well as carrying capacity of over 50,000 direct jobs.
It, therefore, utterly unthinkable that any sound mind in a sound body could describe an event in far away Paris, which had the president of a country in attendance, alongside Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho a ‘broken promise’ less than a month after the agreement was signed.
Apart from what a very elated Governor Dapo Abiodun said, President Tinubu’s speech at the event should ordinarily make the worst pessimist to have a rethink and take a break for a moment. The President emphasised that the projects would address longstanding infrastructure and logistics constraints while creating an integrated platform for industrial production, maritime commerce and access to African and global markets.
According to the president,”We are doing more than signing agreements; we are laying the foundation for a new chapter in Nigeria’s development,”
Deeper analysis of the projects reveals that it will feature a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, positioning it to handle larger vessels, decongest the Lagos port corridor and reduce costs and delays for importers and exporters.
The port will also be integrated with the proposed 10,000-hectare Blue Marine Special Economic Zone, which is expected to support manufacturing, processing and export-oriented industries.
Tinubu said the zone would enable imported inputs to be converted into finished products and Nigerian raw materials to be processed for export, helping to expand the country’s non-oil export base.
“A port moves cargo; a port integrated with a special economic zone helps to build an economy,” he said.
The President said the 28-kilometre Ogun section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would provide a critical link between the port and industrial zone, Lagos, the Nigerian hinterland and wider African markets.
He added that the emerging corridor would also connect with other strategic investments, including the proposed Nigerian Navy Operating Base and Dockyard and the OK LNG Project, strengthening the relationship between maritime infrastructure, industry, energy and trade.
President Tinubu further described the investment as a practical expression of economic diversification and industrialisation under the Renewed Hope Agenda as he commended Ogun State Governor for securing the land, structuring the investment framework and reducing project risks for investors.
Meanwhile, as a clear evidence of seriousness and exigency of the projects, some days after the signing of the MOU in Paris, Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed that construction work on the Gateway Deep Sea Port and Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone would commence in November this year.
The governor said the groundbreaking ceremony for the project would take place in November, after which construction would commence immediately, with the port expected to be substantially completed within two and a half years.
“By November, we will perform the groundbreaking and the construction will start immediately. In two and a half years, that port will almost be completed 100 per cent,” Abiodun said.
The Governor, however, pointed out that the port project had remained largely unrealised for more than three decades despite its enormous potential, prompting his administration to revive it as part of its strategy to attract investment and accelerate economic development.
“Ogun State will become the marine capital of Africa, the marine hub of West Africa, meaning that the biggest ships in the world, when they are coming to Africa, will first come to Ogun Waterside.”
With all these verifiable evidence and unimpeachable facts about the reality and seriousness of the projects and the attendant prosperity for Ogun state and it’s people, particularly the good people of Ogun Waterside, the host community, who are eagerly waiting for the projects to commence in earnest, the statement credited to the PDP candidate in their senatorial district is without doubt an anathema.
It is abundantly evident that Governor Dapo Abiodun is a visionary and pragmatic leader by all standards, his passion for development and growth is legendary and he has proved to all his naysayers that he is far more clear headed in politics and governance, so, why won’t he get the massive supports of his people for further responsibility?
That Prince Dapo Abiodun has been able to reverse developmental stagnations in Ogun East, associated with past administrations in the state is enough evidence of better representation and preferred option for the people of the senatorial district, who are highly enlightened and politically conscious to appreciate development over rhetorics.
The Gateway agro-cargo airport is a pointer to Governor Dapo Abiodun’s commitment to good governance and responsible leadership; the way and speed the project was achieved after twenty years of neglect is impressive and commendable even in the face of initial pessimism by the opposition elements out of confusion.
Point blankly, the Gateway deep seaport in Ogun Waterside is following the same pattern and attention after thirty years of neglect , the starting point optimally reflects significant advancement in the economy of Ogun state and it’s status as the leading industrial hub in the West Africa sub-region as well as emerging marine economy giant in Africa’s coastal corridor.
It is, indeed, pertinent for Alhaji Omotayo and his ilk on that one-legged political platform to quickly change their style and be more serious about issues of paramount interests to the people. They should know that it is not necessary to speak when there are no facts to substantiate claims and when commentary goes without logic.
Obviously, Governor Dapo Abiodun has evidently broken jinx in Ogun East and not promise, he has unprecedentedly reversed stagnations and revived developmental projects with rare speed and seriousness, and the Prince of Iperu is willing and ready to do more for the people of Ogun East.
Ajibola is a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Strategic Communications
