The Federal Government has been urged to rehabilitate the abandoned Abonnema Seaport in Rivers State.
The seaport located in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state was closed after the civil war.
Natives of the Abonnema community who made the request claimed that doing so would assist the Kalabari area’s economic growth.
The appeal came amid the commemoration of 55 years since Nigerian troops took over the community amid their evacuation from their ancestral home by the then Biafran soldiers.Celebrated annually on June 21, the event, tagged ‘Go To Niger Day’ symbolises freedom to the people of Abonnema town in Rivers West Senatorial District.
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The annual event typically begins with a football tournament, a thanksgiving, and the laying of wreaths to remember the fallen heroes.
The Paramount Ruler, Disreal Gbobo Bob-Manuel, Ekineye Gbobo II, Owukori IX, who spoke with Channels Television on the significance of the ‘Go to Niger Day’, appealed to all to ensure Nigeria stayed united.
Other prominent indigenes, including the Chairman, Abonnema LGA, Rowland Charles Sekibo, and Victor Tulutu Briggs, called on the Federal Government to reactivate their seaport and redevelop the once-booming business hub.
Due to its proximity to the sea, the riverine village of Abonnema served as one of the locations where British colonialists conducted their trade.
