Head, Administration and General Service at Integrated Logistic Services (Intels), Mr Chibuisi Onyebueke, said that the company would build an airstrip at Ateo in Eleme in Rivers to enhance business at Onne Port.
Onyebueke, who said this while conducting newsmen on a facility tour of Intels, noted that the company had also invested billions of naira on community relations in the past years.
According to him, with the airstrip operational, oil executives coming to Onne from Lagos could transact their businesses in a day without any problems.
Onyebueke said that Intels was partnering the Lagos State Government to ensure that light planes could fly from Lekki to Onne and vice-versa.
He added that the company had obtained the necessary approvals from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to move the project off the ground.
The Intels boss also urged the Federal Government to connect Onne Port to the national grid, adding that the firm consumes 100,000 litres of diesel daily.
“We rely on generators to power our services and in the last 10 years to 15 years, we have had several meetings with officials of the Federal Ministry of Power on how to restore electricity to the port.
“One key way to higher productivity is for government to let us have access to power supply to save costs.
“Over 150 companies are domiciled in Onne Port. No less than 10,000 vehicles move in and out of the port on regular basis and no fewer than 80,000 people work there.
“Power supply is not our core area. We will not do it,’’ Onyebueke said.
He urged government to take into consideration the sum of $8.1 billion (N1.59 trillion) investments in the port.
The Intels boss also disclosed that the firm built 981 flats, 801 rooms- hostel, a conference hall, and a restaurant which could sit 1,500 people at once, adding that the company was a one-stop shop.
“We are not a foreign company. Nigerians own 85 per cent shares of the company,’’ Onyebueke said.
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