As a panacea to making the Eastern Ports bounce back to full maritime activities, Nigeria Ports Authority  (NPA) has assured that it would reconstruct Rivers Port complex located in Port Harcourt, soon.
Making this known in Port Harcourt recently during a one Day stakeholders workshop on Transport organised by the Authority, the Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, said the reconstruction of the port would enhance terminal operators, investors and shippers to do business in the complex.
According to him, the Port had outlived its life span as it was constructed by the colonial masters over one hundred years ago.
“Rivers Port complex is old and had over stayed its value”, he said, noting that it can, however, not be written off immediately.
but said some shipping activities can take place in the Port terminals even as some exports and imports activities can be undertaking by investors and terminal operator’s
“The life of this Port has ended. But there are steps to be taken, and we can still do business before the reconstruction.
“The Eastern Port will not die, it’s part of the Nigerian Ports”, Koko said.
On dredging of Rivers Port, KoKo said if it is dredged more than its current depth, the terminals would collapsed due to its engineering designed.
“The engineering design of Rivers Port Complex would not allowed us to dredged the Port to a certain depth. If we do, it would collapsed”, he warned.
The MD used the fora to appeal to terminal operators, investors and importers to patronize the Port, especially all the Eastern ports to boost maritime activities in the region
On security in Eastern Ports, Koko said the Authority is collaborating with the Nigerian Navy to secure the waterways and in order to reduce the incidences of piracy, sea robbers and other forms of crimes in the waters.