Revive N’Delta Ports, Amaechi Urges FG

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has decried the level of inactivity at various seaports in the Niger Delta, calling on the federal government to urgently revive the ports in order to boost the nation’s economy.

Amaechi who made the call in a keynote address during the League of Maritime Editors’ two day national seminar in Port Harcourt, yesterday noted that the pressure on the Lagos ports had resulted in avoidable delays in the clearing of goods, which in turn affects the nation’s economy.

The governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Information and Communications, Ms Kadilo Brown, said the country was in dire need of a vibrant economy, explaining that if the government depended on oil revenue alone, it would weaken its financial base.

The seminar with the theme: Reviving the Eastern Ports for Higher Service Delivery and Profitability, held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The governor appealed to the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Transport to upgrade the Port Harcourt and Onne Ports and other ports in the South-South zone to a world class.

He noted that if this was done, it would reduce the pressure on the Lagos ports and as well as increase the economy of the country.

According to him, “if the ports are well equipped, upgrades utilised and all corrupt tendencies removed, they will generate much more revenue that we are getting from oil.”

The governor, however, urged the participants to come up with solutions that would make the Eastern ports more vibrant.

Earlier, President of League of Maritime Editors, Mr Wale Oni, lamented that the old and new Warri ports – Koko and Sapele ports and Burutu ports had been abandoned as an offshoot of the militancy in the Niger Delta region.

Oni also said the Port Harcourt, Calabar and Onne ports were under-utilised while the Lagos ports was being overstretched and almost chaotic, hence, billions of naira was lost as revenue yearly to government and stakeholders of the ports.

According to him, “the potential of the ports to employ over one hundred thousand Nigerians remains hanging, hence, the seminar was held.”

President Goodluck Jonathan (middle) with members of Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform shortly after inauguration in Abuja, yesterday