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FUBARA: UNDERUTILISED SEAPORTS DENYING RIVERS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY ……..Hosts NPA Board, Mgt On Courtesy Visit
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has lamented the economic losses suffered by the state and the nation due to the underutilisation of the Port Harcourt and Onne seaports, warning that unless their capacities are fully harnessed, Rivers State and Nigeria will continue to miss out on jobs, investments, and industrial growth.
Governor Fubara made this position known on Monday when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Board and Management, led by its Chairman, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, on a courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt.
He emphasised that seaports are essential to national development, pointing out that many prosperous nations have relied on world-class ports and airports to power their economies. Fubara noted that despite Rivers State’s strategic advantage of hosting two major ports, their potential remains untapped.
He explained that if Onne Port were operating at full capacity, the ripple effects on the surrounding areas-such as Eleme and Tai- would be transformative. According to him, such a development would drive employment, stimulate manufacturing, expand clearing and forwarding services, and boost economic activity across the state.
The Governor maintained that maximising the ports would lower logistics costs, strengthen investor confidence, and attract industries that rely on proximity to export facilities. He added that the resulting growth would cut across job creation, business expansion, and increased tax revenues.
Fubara also pointed out that Rivers State enjoys a relatively peaceful environment, particularly under his administration, which has worked to foster stability and attract investments. He contrasted this with other states where port activities are often disrupted by community disputes, stressing that Rivers maintains smoother cooperation among host communities, the government, and the NPA.
On infrastructure, the Governor identified the dilapidated federal roads leading to the ports as a serious challenge. He said the poor state of the roads has led to flooding and traffic congestion and called on the Federal Government to prioritise their rehabilitation. While recognising that such roads fall under federal jurisdiction, he assured that his administration would complement federal efforts through improved traffic management, better regulation of truck drivers, and the enforcement of order around port areas.
He further pledged to strengthen security in the port environment by facilitating the establishment of a police station within the facilities. The Governor linked insecurity to unemployment, noting that a fully functional port system would naturally reduce crime by providing alternative opportunities for young people.
Fubara condemned the encroachment of port lands by private individuals, warning that such practices undermine future development. He requested that the NPA provide comprehensive reports of such encroachment so the state government could intervene appropriately.
He also attributed much of the flooding around the ports to the poor condition of the access roads and inadequate drainage. He promised that once problem areas were identified, his administration would collaborate with the NPA on remedial works.
The Governor commended the NPA Board for engaging with the state government before embarking on intervention projects, noting that such collaboration would ensure sustainability and community acceptance. He urged the Board to seize the current moment to revitalise the seaports so that they could become genuine engines of growth rather than neglected facilities.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Board, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, thanked Governor Fubara for his warm reception, whilst describing Nigeria’s litoral states as being richly endowed with marine assets that can drive economic prosperity. He assured that the NPA Board was committed to optimising operations at the Port Harcourt and Onne ports.
He also sought the state government’s support in addressing key challenges such as rehabilitation of access roads, control of illegal truck parking, improved environmental sanitation, and the establishment of a police post to bolster security within the port precincts.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two long trailers heading for Kano as it intensified efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.
The agency also arrested an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer in Rivers State, a businesswoman linked to cannabis shipments from Canada, a Chadian woman, a couple and other suspects in coordinated operations across Lagos, Edo, Kogi and Rivers states.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
According to the statement, the latest intelligence-led operation came barely one week after NDLEA operatives recovered 558,900 pills of tramadol concealed in the false-bottom compartment of a truck that entered Lagos through the Togo-Benin Republic route.
Babafemi said, “Ongoing efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo, through Benin Republic into Nigeria have yielded another success with the interception of two long trailers used to move One Million Six Hundred and Thirty (1,630,000) pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in fabricated compartments of the trucks across multiple borders into Lagos.”
He added that one of the two trailers was intercepted on July 2 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where operatives recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor.
Babafemi said, “One of the two trucks already heading to Kano was tracked and located on 2nd July 2026 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where NDLEA officers recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the trailer and arrested the 22-year-old driver Jabir Kabiru.”
He further disclosed that another trailer was intercepted two days later on the same route.
“Two days later, 4th July, NDLEA operatives acting on processed intelligence successfully tracked and recovered the second trailer from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while heading to Kano. A total of 777,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the truck were evacuated and the 22-year-old driver Muhammed Nuhu arrested,” the statement read.
According to Babafemi, investigations established a link between the three intercepted consignments.
He said, “Investigations revealed that all three trucks and consignments intercepted on 21st June, 2nd July and 4th July belong to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria axis.”
The agency also intercepted 4.70 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Babafemi said, “Two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 4.70 kilograms have been intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The cargoes, which arrived the Lagos airport from Canada in cartons with ‘Odugwu’ boldly written on them, came aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights on 24th June and 3rd July respectively.”
He said two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, were initially arrested in connection with the shipments, while another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended after arriving at a logistics company to take delivery of the consignments.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has denied claims that it has commenced registration for a purported ?50,000 National Support Allowance.
The ministry, in a public notice posted on its official X handle, yesterday, described messages, links and websites advertising the alleged programme as fraudulent.
It urged Nigerians to disregard such claims and verify information only through official government channels.
“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has NOT commenced registration for any ?50,000 National Support Allowance,” the ministry said.
It added, “Disregard fraudulent messages, links and websites claiming otherwise. Verify any info only through official govt channels.”
The alert is in response to a circulating scam flyer that falsely claims the program is ongoing under President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
The fake advertisement, which includes text in Hausa and English, directs victims to a suspicious website (kluspz.com) for applications.
The ministry’s warning comes amid heightened concerns over digital fraud targeting vulnerable populations seeking social support.
Similar scams have previously surfaced around programs like N-Power, prompting questions from citizens in replies to the official post.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its preparedness for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, hinted at this while making his remarks at the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.
Ajaero said it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
He advised workers and pensioners to get prepared for the ideological and economic battles that lie ahead.
According to the NLC president, “The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) is one of the proud affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Therefore, your struggle is our struggle, and your welfare remains a priority for the organised labour movement.
“We are currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
“However, let me state unequivocally that it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension. It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement.”
Ajaero noted that the cost of living has risen astronomically as food, healthcare and transportation have become increasingly unaffordable.
“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he said.
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He said the completion of the project should serve as a clarion call to all workers and lovers of the masses.
“We must not only build physical structures but also build a strong movement capable of compelling government to honour its commitments,” he said.
Ajaero further stated: “We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security.
“Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve.”
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