The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that the Federal Government was desirous of constructing deep seaports at Bonny in Rivers State and Warri in Delta State as a way of providing alternatives to the ports in Lagos and also end the perennial traffic gridlock on the two approaches to Lagos ports.
Amaechi said this while receiving members of the Governing Board of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) led by the Chairman; Mai Mala Buni in Abuja.
The Minister reinstated the Federal Government’s commitment to resolving the gridlock which characterise Apapa road, even as he assured that the gridlock “would soon be a thing of the past“.
He said that the problem, which had persisted over the years, was due to the nation’s main ports located at Apapa, which he described as a River Ports.
According to him, the port neither has the depth nor the capacity to berth large ships.
On the deep seaports, the Minister said “with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to build Deep Seaports at Bonny and Warri, importers from Aba, Onitsha or Port Harcourt will no longer have business importing cargoes through Apapa Port, thereby saving man-hours wasted in trying to clear goods and transport to its final destination”.
The minister, however, called on all agencies and stakeholders involved in port operations to deliver on their responsibilities to solve the problems at the ports.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Shippers Council Governing Board; Mai Mala Buni, commended the minister for the support given to the board.
He said that the board would formulate policies that would not only help the Council to fulfill its statutory role, but diversify the economy, create employment and uplift the standard of living of the people.
Buni also appealed to the Minister to assist the board to earn the strong political support required to have unfettered access to the ports and other establishments to carry out its statutory functions.
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