The Senate, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to remobilise the contractors handling Baro River Port project to ensure completion of the project which was awarded since the administration of former President Shehu Musa Yaradua.
The upper chamber also at the plenary session urged the Federal Government to transfer the road project to Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, PIDF for better funding and execution.
The lawmakers there after mandated its Committees on Marine Transport; Works; and Public Procurement to investigate the abandonment of the said project by National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA and make adequate recommendations to facilitate its early completion.
These resolutions of the Senate was sequel to a motion on “Urgent need to complete all the necessary components of Baro River Port project of the Lower River Niger”, sponsored by Senator Muhammad Bima (Niger South) and 22 other lawmakers during plenary
Presenting the motion, Bima expressed worry over above N40billion which the FG has so far been expended on the various components of the Baro Port without achieving any significant progress towards utilisation of the port, wondering why “such a laudable project with all its potential benefits would be so neglected.”
Senator Bima told the Senate that the federal government awarded the contract for the dredging of the Lower River Niger, construction of the Baro Port, installation of cargo handling equipment and connecting access roads to ensure movement of goods and services to the Northern parts of the country in addition to the general improvement of socio-economic activities of the region.
He lamented that the Baro Port project which is expected to “ create 3,000 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs as well as improving our roads network by keeping heavy duty trailers and trucks off roads thereby expanding the life span of the roads.” Is being abandoned at a time like thus when it is highly needed to improve the national s economy.
According to him, the capital dredging of the Lower River Niger from Warri to Baro had been completed while the Baro Port and its cargo handling equipment have also been completed and commissioned on January 19 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bima further stated that the access roads which will facilitate movement of goods from Baro to the Northern parts was awarded in 2015 and 2018 for Lambata-Bida and Agaie-Katcha-Baro respectively, but lamented that the two major access roads, Lambata-Agaie and Agaie-Katcha-Baro respectively have only achieved about 20% and 2% progress.
He also regretted that funding of the access roads had been grossly inadequate as N670million and N4.5billion so far been released for the project out of the contract sum of N17billion and N33billion respectively.
In his contribution, Senator Mohammed Musa (Niger East), urged the federal government to ensure early completion of the project, noting that doing so would advance economic prosperity of the people and industrial growth in parts of the country.
The Senate also advised the government to facilitate the rehabilitation of Narrow Gauge Railway in Baro to ensure rapid socio-economic growth of the country while there should be continuous dredging and maintenance by NIWA of the Rivers Niger and Benue to ensure its navigability.

Nigeria (2019) Sponsored by Senator Mpigi, Barinada (Rivers South East), an amendment bill for “ Police Act CAP P19 LFN 2004 and ten other bills scaled first reading .

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja.