Delta Shippers’ Association (DESA) has called on the Federal Government to design a robust policy to address the moribund Delta ports.
President of DESA; Mr Austin Egbegbadia, while speaking with newsmen in Warri, said the call had become necessary in view of government’s efforts to diversify the economy.
He said when fully operational, Delta port had the capacity to provide more than 100,000 direct employment and additional one million indirect jobs.
“I think a robust policy can assist in addressing the unemployment challenges in the country,’’ he said.
Egbegbadia urged the government to also address the bottlenecks hindering the dredging of the Warri water channel to enable bigger vessels sail through.
“Several times we have heard on the media that government has awarded the dredging of the Warri water channel, yet there has been no implementation, I think that government should be proactive enough to follow the process to the letter,’’ he said.
The shipper attributed the current situation in the Delta ports to maladministration and wrong government policies.
He said that the moment the water channel was dredged; it would definitely revive business activities at the idle ports, and thereby reduce the cost of doing business.
According to him, the Delta Ports, which comprised Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko is strategically located.
Egbegbadia added that its proximity to the Eastern and Northern parts of the country gave it an edge over the Lagos ports.
“In the olden days when the Delta ports were functional, aside the physical direct labour, the place was a beehive of business activities, people were happy, it was fun, and Ocean-going liners were berthing.
“It is a pity that after government has spent billions of dollars to construct the port, it is being allowed to remain fallow because of maladministration and wrong government policies,’’ he said.
Egbegbadia expressed regret that none of the successive governments had mustered the political will to tackle the challenges, but rather blamed the situation on youth restiveness and sea piracy.
He appealed to the government to be proactive in dredging the water channel to accommodate bigger vessels.
The DESA president said that dredging the water channel would be vital to operation of the on-going Gas City Project in Ogidigben, Warri South-West Local Government.
Similarly, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta had in his recent quarterly media briefing in Asaba, said that the state government was making effort to see that the exclusive list that set up the Delta ports was amended.
“That is the only way the state government can play its role in reviving the ports.
“For Warri ports to be functional, the Federal Government needs to open the Escravos bar to enable bigger vessels to navigate.
“Warri port is closer to the Eastern region, we have approached the Federal Government on the issue and we hope in due course the water channel will be dredged,’’ the Governor said.
Discussion about this post