The Manager of Port Harcourt Port, Mr. Dele Alabi, has said that the bad condition of roads in the port is one of the factors affecting smooth operations at the harbour.
Alabi made the statement in Port Harcourt last week when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport, led by its Chairman, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, visited the port as part of the lawmakers’ oversight functions.
He said the management of the port had written to the Rivers Government for assistance in the rehabilitation of the roads around the harbour.
The Manager of Port Harcourt Port, Mr. Dele Alabi, has said that the bad condition of roads in the port is one of the factors affecting smooth operations at the harbour.
Alabi made the statement in Port Harcourt last week when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport, led by its Chairman, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, visited the port as part of the lawmakers’ oversight functions.
He said the management of the port had written to the Rivers Government for assistance in the rehabilitation of the roads around the harbour.
He called on the government to take urgent steps to rehabilitate the roads.
Enumerating other challenges of the port, Mr. Alabi lamented importers’ anxiety over the Rivers Port and preference for Lagos ports even though the Rivers ports were closest to them.
He noted that while the port’s vessel traffic for wet cargo has increased, it was equally important that that of container cargo improved.
“It has been impossible to make the people do a rethink on their thought that doing business at the Rivers ports is expensive. This zone is not necessarily more expensive,” he said.
Providing substantive figures, Alabi further debunked the claim that the port was underutilised
“Let me say clearly that the Rivers port is not underutilized, from nothing, our cargo throughput was 4 million metric tons four years ago. Last year we had 7million metric tons. The challenge is that we handle more of wet cargo. We will be happier if we handle more of containerised cargoes.
“Even the terminals here can do better. They are all ready for business. I am aware that one terminal operator has acquired equipment which have not been put to use since last year,” he said.
Responding, Ugwuanyi said the committee was at the port as part of its oversight functions.
“We are here as part of our constitutional oversight (function). We are here in the Eastern port or Eastern zone to inspect capital projects and from here we proceed to Lagos for the Western zone.
“We have no conclusions to make here. Our findings are very important, both for the information of the house and for budgeting; but, essentially, the sole purpose of this is in line with our constitutional mandate of law-making, oversight and representation (functions).
“Today, we are for oversight (function),’’ Ugwuanyi said.
He urged the management of the port to articulate all the challenges facing the port to enable the committee to take the necessary action, especially for use in the preparation of the 2013 budget.
“In few months, the 2013 budget will be table tabled before the National Assembly. You must articulate your challenges, while also remembering that your performance in your current capital projects and contracts is key in determining what is accrued to you in the next budget,” Hon Ugwuanyi said
Discussion about this post