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FG To Expand East-West Road – Minister

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10 years ago

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The  Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Stephen Oru, has said that the East-West Road will be expanded from two to three lanes, covering 15km from Port-Harcourt to Onne Junction in Rivers.
Oru made the statement when he launched the commencement of work for the upgrading  of the road in Port-Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said the project has been awarded to Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), Nigeria Limited.
The road, which links Edo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States, is a flagship project of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.  
The ministry inherited the 388km dual carriage from the Federal Ministry of Works in April 2009 to hasten its completion.
Oru said that with so many projects, the ministry was focused on completing the road, which was of great economic importance to the region.
He said that the upgrading of the two-lane dual carriageway to three, from Eleme Junction (Port Harcourt) to Onne Port-Harcourt Junction in Section III was important.
According to him, there will be two bridges, one at  Refinery Junction and another at Onne Port Junction along the road, in addition to three traffic lanes, measuring 10.95m wide.
Oru also said that the road would have  2.75m outer shoulder and 1.5m inner shoulder as well as drains and culverts.
He said that there would be deck-on-bridge between Km 59 and Km 61 on the new carriageway to provide ultimate solution to heavy soil subsidence frequently experienced in that section of the road.
Oru said that the first four sections of the road had been completed.
 ’’The four sections are the Warri-Kaiama road, 87.4 Km in Delta, Section II Kaiama-Port Harcourt (101 Km) in Bayelsa/Rivers States and Section III  and IV Eket-Oron (51 Km) in Akwa Ibom State, ‘’he said.
He said that the Oron-Calabar Road was the final section of the road known as Section V and was expected to reduce time spent from Oron to Calabar by two hours.
The minister said Section III had six lanes, two interchanges at Onne Port-Harcourt Junction and Eleme Refinery Junction and four bridges.
‘’The section of the East-West Road from Port-Harcourt to Onne Junction carries the heaviest vehicular traffic on the road as it runs through the industrial hub of Rivers State.
‘’The activities of Port-Harcourt refineries (old and new), Eleme Petro-Chemical, NAFCON and Onne Deep Seaport are all dependent on this road.
‘’This section of the Road has witnessed unprecedented rise in traffic volume and heavy axle loads as a result of daily increasing commercial activities,’’ he said
He commended the efforts of the Federal Government to bring in funds from China Exim-Bank and said the ministry would strengthen its cooperation with SURE-P to ensure the completion of the project.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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