Business
NPA Admits Pollution Of Environment
The Port Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Rivers Port complex, Mr Dele Aliabi has agreed that the environment of Port Harcourt Port, especially the Wharf area is polluted.
Mr Alabi in his speech at a dinner organised by one of the port’s concessionaires, the Port and Terminal Operators Limited (PTOL) in Port Harcourt, as part of efforts to woo importers to the port admitted that there is pollution at the port, but that it is tolerable.
In his words “There is pollution at the port, and such pollution is tolerable and we are trying to do something to minimise it’s degeneration”.
The port manager also said that the cement vessels they have at the port at the moment have expiring dates and that as soon as the dates expires, that the port will be clean from pollution.
He also explained that experts from the federal ministry of environment has been contacted, and that they have assessed the environment pointing out that in a short while, things will return to normal at the wharf.
On the state of the Industry road which links the port to the outside world, Mr Alabi stated that it has not been easy for them even as landlord in the new dispensation of ports concessioning.
He said “we are worried as NPA about the bad industry road. We have contracted the Rivers State government, and we have he assurance from the state government that things will be put in order very shortly.”
The port manager, however, expressed happiness with the steps taken by the PTOL towards restoring competitive business to Port Harcourt port, stressing that the vision is to make the Port Harcourt port and the terminals one of the best in the African sub-region.
Corlins Walter