Give Tinubu, Otu another term for Bakassi seaport, coastal highway — Shettima

By Ike Uchechukwu

CALABAR — Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Cross River residents that the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport and Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be delivered, urging them to re-elect President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu in 2027.

Shettima gave the assurance yesterday while representing Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

He thanked the people of Cross River for supporting the administration over the past three years, describing the relationship between the government and the electorate as “an alliance of prosperity, an alliance of opportunity.”

“Over the past three years, you have shown us support, and you have resisted the lies and propaganda intended to misrepresent us,” he said.

The Vice President urged voters to renew the mandates of Tinubu, Otu and APC candidates seeking election into the National Assembly and the state House of Assembly.

He said the party was seeking another mandate based on its stewardship, stressing that elected officials must account to the people who entrusted them with power.

On infrastructure, Shettima said the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would link coastal communities, ease the movement of goods and people, boost tourism and attract investment to the region.

He added that the project would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, while opening up economic opportunities for communities along the corridor.

On the Bakassi Deep Seaport, the Vice President said the project had received Federal Government approval, expressing optimism that it would become an international maritime gateway upon completion.

“When completed, it will become an international maritime gateway. It will attract shipping companies. It will generate employment,” he said.

Shettima said the seaport and coastal highway were central to efforts to position Cross River as a major beneficiary of Nigeria’s maritime economy.

On education, he said the government’s student financing initiative would promote human capital development, reduce the financial burden on parents and expand access to higher education.

He added that the intervention was intended to ensure that financial constraints did not prevent children from pursuing their education