Port Manager Commends Concessionaires On Infrastructural Development

Port Manager of Rivers Port Complex (RPC), Port Harcourt, Mr Lawrence Alabi, said last week  that the Federal Government’s concession policy had enhanced the development of infrastructure at the nation’s ports.
Alabi said this in a statement made available to newsmen by Mrs Barbara  Nchey-Achukwu, Chief  Port Public Affairs Officer of the port complex.
He said that some concessionaires had done well by investing more than others.

Port Manager of Rivers Port Complex (RPC), Port Harcourt, Mr Lawrence Alabi, said last week  that the Federal Government’s concession policy had enhanced the development of infrastructure at the nation’s ports.
Alabi said this in a statement made available to newsmen by Mrs Barbara  Nchey-Achukwu, Chief  Port Public Affairs Officer of the port complex.
He said that some concessionaires had done well by investing more than others.
Alabi said that such concessionaires should work hard to meet up with their contractual agreement with government on improvement of port facilities.
The port manager said the Rivers Port had in the last six years, since the take off of concession, experienced considerable growth, both in ship and cargo traffic.
“There is tremendous improvement in cargo throughput at the port,’’ Alabi said.
He said that 355 vessels with Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 5.1 million were handled between January and September 2012.
“Cargo throughput achieved in the same period is 4. 1 million tonnes,’’ he said.
The port manager explained that the throughput was made up of 3.7 million tonnes of inward cargoes (imports) and 310,526 outward cargoes (exports).
“The cargoes are refined petroleum products, bagged rice and fish among others,’’ Alabi said.
Alabi also said that the concessionaires had brought more improvement to port operations.
He said that the key performance indicators of the port had improved tremendously, adding that the average turn around time (TAM) had also improved.
Alabi, however, said that were significant areas that the terminal operators should improve upon to compete favourably for maximum inputs.
The port manager advised the concessionaires to improve in areas like capacity development among their staffs and the stevedoring firms contracted for some certain operations.
Alabi gave an assurance that the management of the port would continue to play its pivotal role in maintaining adequate security measures as stipulated by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code for smooth navigation.