Prince Thomas Abi Jr|2 August 2016
I will like Cross Riverians to take out sometime and reflect on the sufferings of the Bakassi people. These people are in severe hardship. They do not have food to eat, no accommodation, no health-care and schools for their children. They are suffering. It will be wicked, heartless, unethical, greedy and inhumane to politicize the plight of the Bakassi people.
These people need support. They need urgent attention. They need our support and any attempt to politicize the problems of the Bakassi people is wicked and unjust. And the Heavens would judge such people for having such animalistic tendency.
It is heartbreaking that a people who were born and brought up in a particular geo-political enclave are now refugees in their own ancestral homes. They are practically homeless and suffering.
The people of Bakassi are fishermen, the government must encourage the fishermen in Bakassi. The government of Cross River State must not wait for the federal government before they empower the fishermen in Bakassi.
The Bakassi people are skillful fishermen. All they do is fishing. That is their occupation. I will expect that the government keys into fishing immediately by getting into large scale fishing and providing the Bakassi men with the needed fishing net, hooks and canoes or boats as the case maybe. We are crying of no money as a state when we have a source of generating huge revenue for government and also putting smiles on the faces of the Bakassi people.
The crayfish from Bakassi is about the best in Nigeria and Africa. So why can't we encourage our local fishermen? While they get a means of livelihood, the state can key into packaging the crayfish and exporting it to other countries of the world. Generating huge revenue for government.
The fish in Bakassi also is another source of generating huge revenue for government. The fish in Bakassi can be exported to Europe, America and Asia. We must not neglect empowering the fishermen in Bakassi.
Keying into packaging crayfish and fish from Bakassi can rake in millions of dollars as revenue for the Cross River State government.
The Bakassi land is very fertile for farming. Vegetables, tomato and other crops can be cultivated in Bakassi. These are avenues that can bring in revenue for both the Bakassi people and the government.
Instead of we looking outside for alternative source of revenue generation we can empower the Bakassi people and also get huge revenue from the region.
Any attempt to politicize the plight of the Bakassi people is not only callous but heartless.
Prince Thomas Abi Jr.
Is a Social Commentator
