Akwa Ibom commissioner wants the marine economy strengthened by appropriate laws

To help the state’s economy, Mr Orman Esin, the commissioner of transportation for Akwa Ibom State, has urged for strengthening the current maritime regulations.

Speaking in his office with the reporters chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Uyo, he expressed sadness that the state government had not been able to profit from even 5% of the incoming revenue because of the lack of strong or effective existing laws.

He added that doing so has caused the state government to lose revenue to oil corporations operating there, who claimed that their activities fell within the exclusive list of the federal government. He said his ministry has established a local content group to come up with solutions to the problem.

“Our existing laws, which are supposed to support Akwa Ibom state, are our first issue. That was one of the factors in my decision to pay the State Chief Judge a courtesy call. Some of the rules included in the Federal Government of Nigeria’s exclusive list make it difficult for the Akwa Ibom maritime sector to operate since they state that every operation carried out more than 200 nautical miles from the coast falls under the exclusive list’s purview.

“Where are the 200 nautical miles, I ask? These oil and gas companies operate within Akwa Ibom territorial waters, but because they don’t want to be subject to the legal framework of the state government in terms of revenue generation and tax payment to the government, they want to hide under the exclusive list in order to avoid being monitored by the state government. They claim that this list is exclusive to the Federal Government (FG).

“That became a problem for me, so I had to draught a bill to deal with it. The ministry desires to carry out this goal. I will pay the speaker a courtesy call so that we can approve a bill that is practical for Akwa Ibom State Marine. A bill was previously enacted, but it was poorly supported.

With the exception of P.A.Y.E. and a few small taxes, Akwa Ibom State has not been able to benefit from even 5% of the blue economy that enters the state because we lack a strong legal framework. We will launch the Ministry of Transportation Local Content Committee as a result.

Esin also hinted at a collaboration between his ministry and the Ministry of Internal Security to address situations of piracy and insecurity along the waterways.

He also suggested that the state administration had partnered with the Nigerian Navy to promote water transit, offering a another option to road travel.

A design for ferries and cargo boats that would transport people from Oron to Calabar had also been presented by the Nigerian Navy, the Commissioner added.