FG To Commission Onitsha River Port, Soon

Importers in Onitsha, Anambra State would soon heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Government would soon commission the Onitsha River Port.

The Port, The Tide correspondent gathered, is equipped with modern cargo handling equipments among other facilities.

The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan disclosed this during this year’s Democracy Day broadcast in Abuja, last Tuesday.

He said his administration had within the last one month completed the capital dredging of the lower River Niger from Warri in Delta State to Baro in Niger State in order to boost inland water transportation.

President Jonathan further disclosed that work would commence on the dredging of the River Benue in addition  to the construction of River ports at Baro in Niger State, Oguta in Imo State and Jamata/Lokoja in Kogi State this year.

The President noted that since his assumption of office, his administration had focused attention on ports and customs reforms to ensure efficiency in the handling of ports and ports related businesses, adding, “our administration has stream linedbureaucratic activities at the ports by reducing the number of agencies from fourteen to seven.”

According to him, government had also reduced the time for the clearance of goods from precisely a month to just seven days with the long term objective of ensuring that cargoes are cleared within 48 hours in line with international best practice.

In the meantime, our ports, for the first time, now open for business for 24 hours, he reiterated, and further assured stakeholders in the Maritme sector that better days are coming for all investors and importers to do business in Nigeria.

Collins Barasimeye