Abagworo:

You can't say all textiles,cars,heavy equipments,chemicals and agricultural products must be imported through Lagos and expect the others to thrive.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't appear that any goods are banned from being imported in Calabar (at least, my quick google search doesn't show any evidence of this.)

Instead it appears that the port needs to be dredged:
[list]
[*] http://allafrica.com/stories/201003050857.html
[*] http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2010/08/30/nigeria-governor-urges-fg-to-expedite-calabar-port-dredging/
[*] http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5464788-146/story.csp
[*] http://www.vanoord.com/gb-en/our_activities/project_selector/calabar_access_channel/index.php
[/list]

It seems to me that Cross River should have also spent money ensuring that the river is dredged. Relying on the federal gov't to complete this important task to make your business successful seems like poor planning.

Like, rather than spending $450 million on Tinapa (or however much they spent), why didn't they spend the money on dredging the port so that big ships will be interested in delivering goods there?

If it were me, that is what I would have done. Dredge the port first, get it up and running, then simultaneously build Tinapa and good roads.

Abagworo:

Calabar as a city is the 2nd most beautiful city in Nigeria after Abuja.It has a lagoon like Lagos and was once the capital of Nigeria like Lagos.The bane of Calabar's viability is rooted in deliberate marginalisation by successive Nigerian governments till date.Anyone into importation can easily tell you that FG refused the usage of Calabar ports for the importation of almost all but few goods into the country.There is no concrete reason given for this.Even tank farms in PortHarcourt and Calabar lay fallow throughout OBJ's regime until they were allowed to import under GEJ.That is just the simple reason the ports are not working.Government should allow all ports to be used equally.You can't say all textiles,cars,heavy equipments,chemicals and agricultural products must be imported through Lagos and expect the others to thrive.

wrong

why should there be free importation from any port in nigeria, i ask?

if there are different ports in a country, each port has to serve specific purpose so as to stop the importation of illegal things easily

the reason for the government decision during obj time was because MEND and MASSOP which are secession groups which means that importation of weapons would be easy for this groups just like what happened in lagos some few weeks ago

i believe that the international airport in enugu should be working but port harcount no unless they are watched carefully, we do not want riots in the country again, do we

importation of textile should be do in lagos since that is were most people buy there clothes

Another recent article:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/group-holds-forum-on-dredging-of-calabar-port/

Calabar Port is one of the six major seaports in the country, which has unfortunately recorded the lowest patronage of deep ocean-going vessels owing to its shallow draft.  The avoidable situation has thus adversely affected the growth of shipping activities in the port and by implication, the overall economy of the area.

So again, how is this a massive conspiracy? How is the Yoruba man responsible for the Calabar River being shallow and filled with dirt?

Unless someone can demonstrate that the federal government has explicitly banned certain goods from being imported through Calabar, or that import duties are higher there, then I don't see how anyone can allege discrimination.

I don't get this. You want to build a Free Trade Zone, but you build it not on a SEASIDE port (like Lagos), but on a RIVERSIDE port. And not a deep, wide river, but a shallow one. You also don't spend any of your own money to improve the river so that large ships can profitably bring goods there. And somehow all of this is someone else's fault?

DapoBear:

Another recent article:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/group-holds-forum-on-dredging-of-calabar-port/



I don't get this. You want to build a Free Trade Zone, but you build it not on a SEASIDE port (like Lagos), but on a RIVERSIDE port. And not a deep, wide river, but a shallow one. You also don't spend any of your own money to improve the river so that large ships can profitably bring goods there. And somehow all of this is someone else's fault?

gbam dapobear stop on

why would anyone build a port on a river when there is a seaport

sometime i do not know how jonathan and others think

DapoBear:

Another recent article:
So again, how is this a massive conspiracy? How is the Yoruba man responsible for the Calabar River being shallow and filled with dirt?

You should not be arguing with these people

They will do anything to discredit the Yoruba race.The Ibo race has a real problem with us and I think they are what the dictionary calls a "Viewer. "  They like to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have this big telescope to look into the homes of other people and see what is happening. The Ibo race  must be one of them - and it is a sickness

alj harem:

gbam dapobear stop on

why would anyone build a port on a river when there is a seaport

sometime i do not know how jonathan and others think  

You keep swinging on every yoruba dude's nuts and i swear one day you're going to get pregnant.

alj harem:

gbam dapobear stop on

why would anyone build a port on a river when there is a seaport

sometime i do not know how jonathan and others think  

I don't mind it, the more ports the merrier. But it annoys me for them to allege some sort of discrimination when instead they are simply incompetent.

strangerf:

You should not be arguing with these people

They will do anything to discredit the Yoruba race.The Ibo race has a real problem with us and I think they are what the dictionary calls a "Viewer. "  They like to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have this big telescope to look into the homes of other people and see what is happening. The Ibo race  must be one of them - and it is a sickness

Free education really is working huh? the agbero has learned a new word and now is using it in nairaland and explaining its definition through an example.ROTFLMAO! My belle

DapoBear:

I don't mind it, the more ports the merrier. But it annoys me for them to allege some sort of discrimination when instead they are simply incompetent.

Incompetent how? Explain. And who are they? Is calabar Igboland?

chyz:

Incompetent how? Explain. And who are they? Is calabar Igboland?

Y'all are the same

No difference

Incompetent, fraudulent mofos!

strangerf:

Y'all are the same

No difference

Incompetent, fraudulent mofos!

i dont get u

strangerf:

Y'all are the same

No difference

Incompetent, fraudulent mofos!

Well i guess that means we're all yorubas.

chyz:

Incompetent how? Explain.

Well, my strong suspicion is that it is going to cost an enormous amount of money to dredge the Calabar River enough to make it attractive for large ships to come there.

Even looking at from Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=google+maps+calabar&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Calabar,+Nigeria&gl=us&ei=wV8FTbmwCYSClAekiZHECQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA

Look at how far Calabar is from the sea (compared to Lagos, which is right on the Atlantic.)

Then when you zoom in, you cannot even make out the waterway connecting Calabar to the Atlantic.

It is probably going to cost a lot of money to get the job done. Otherwise it would probably already be complete, and they wouldn't be trying to offload the work onto the Federal Government.

In any case, looks like they put the cart before the horse.

chyz:

Well i guess that means we're all yorubas.

Glad you are coming to terms with your real self

However, if you want to be part of us, you have to formally apply!

DapoBear:

Well, my strong suspicion is that it is going to cost an enormous amount of money to dredge the Calabar River enough to make it attractive for large ships to come there.

Even looking at from Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=google+maps+calabar&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Calabar,+Nigeria&gl=us&ei=wV8FTbmwCYSClAekiZHECQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA

Look at how far Calabar is from the sea (compared to Lagos, which is right on the Atlantic.)

Then when you zoom in, you cannot even make out the waterway connecting Calabar to the Atlantic.

It is probably going to cost a lot of money to get the job done. Otherwise it would probably already be complete, and they wouldn't be trying to offload the work onto the Federal Government.

In any case, looks like they put the cart before the horse.

True. The question should be why are they rushing for a RIVERSIDE port and also could it be because Akwa Ibom and Rivers State does not have a SEASIDE port.

strangerf:

Glad you are coming to terms with your real self

However, if you want to be part of us, you have to formally apply!

Ok this is kinda gay, im going back to real discussion.have fun.

chyz:

True. The question should be why are they rushing for a RIVERSIDE port and also could it be because Akwa Ibom and Rivers State does not have a SEASIDE port.

now u are talking

why wold they spend money on the river when there is a sea port

alj harem:

now u are talking

why wold they spend money on the river when there is a sea port

The question is where is the sea port and how convenient is it.

lagos is one

i think they can do one in bayelse state also

but spending money on river just because he want to igbos to be happy is wrong

let not be trablistic or dumb here, lets do with is best for the country

Looking at that map and studying Nigeria's coastline a bit, seems reasonable to guess that the Lekki FTZ will be quite a bit more successful than this Tinapa FTZ. 20 million people in Lagos, 20 million in the other SW states, 3 million nearby in Benin Republic, so easily 40+ million people nearby. Easy access to the Atlantic, so large ships can profitably dock there. And it looks like Fashola has studied the problem very well and is developing the supporting infrastructure (roads, power, etc) so that the project can be successful. He is also doing all of this with minimal federal government support, instead raising money overseas (a bank in Australia and a mutual fund in South Africa are funding the Lekki Toll Road, for example) to achieve his objectives.

chyz:

True. The question should be why are they rushing for a RIVERSIDE port and also could it be because Akwa Ibom and Rivers State does not have a SEASIDE port.

If it were me in charge, I'd suggest these SE states should all collaborate together, pool money and resources together to make one port dominant. Lagos as a port has too many structural and physical advantages to be knocked off easily. But you give yourself absolutely zero chance if you are dividing up resources into 3 or 4 mediocre ports. One elite port stands a much better chance of being competitive with Lagos than 3 or 4 mediocre ports.

I have some personal experiences with regards to what I posted earlier.My Father was and is still an importer.The boarder with Malabo and Cameroun is extremely tight when compared with that of Seme and Niger.It was quite difficult to import through Calabar and I think only pharmaceutical drugs were allowed through Calabar then.

The reason might be political or again as a result of the Ports capacity.

alj harem:

lagos is one

i think they can do one in bayelse state also

but spending money on river just because he want to igbos to be happy is wrong

let not be trablistic or dumb here, lets do with is best for the country

The mentality you have is why we Igbo deal with on a day to day bases.That's why people like me will continue to push for our liberation behind close doors. Lagos is not the only state on the sea. It cost money to move products all the way from lagos to the other side of the country. Rivers and Akwa Ibom are on the sea as well as bayelsa so why do they not have a sea port when it is economically going to benefit their states? have you ever asked yourself that question? If the state benefits from it then so will the country.It's basic Macro economics.

chyz:

The mentality you have is why we Igbo deal with on a day to day bases.That's why people like me will continue to push for our liberation behind close doors. Lagos is not the only state on the sea. It cost money to move products all the way from lagos to the other side of the country. Rivers and Akwa Ibom are on the sea as well as bayelsa so why do they not have a sea port when it is economically going to benefit their states? have you ever asked yourself that question? If the state benefits from it then so will the country.It's basic Macro economics.

what mentality

did i not say balysea state

i ask again what metality

do u think i do not know that it cost money to transport from lagos to other part of the country

is that not why i said balysa state, but i do not support wasting the country's money on a river, it is simply not pratical

chyz:

The mentality you have is why we Igbo deal with on a day to day bases.That's why people like me will continue to push for our liberation behind close doors. Lagos is not the only state on the sea. It cost money to move products all the way from lagos to the other side of the country. Rivers and Akwa Ibom are on the sea as well as bayelsa so why do they not have a sea port when it is economically going to benefit their states? have you ever asked yourself that question? If the state benefits from it then so will the country.It's basic Macro economics.

Who though is going to spend money to build these things, though? I'm not opposed to Igbo liberation or whatever, even if it is just economic. But shouldn't the people who benefit from something be the ones paying for it? Like, if you want a port that benefits you and your people primarily, shouldn't you be willing to put money up?

I could see if the SW were getting tons and tons of federal projects alone. But we are not. What has the federal gov't done in Lagos, or any of the SW states lately? I think most of us are realizing that the federal government is useless, and anything we want to do, we will have to do ourselves.

DapoBear:

If it were me in charge, I'd suggest these SE states should all collaborate together, pool money and resources together to make one port dominant. Lagos as a port has too many structural and physical advantages to be knocked off easily. But you give yourself absolutely zero chance if you are dividing up resources into 3 or 4 mediocre ports. One elite port stands a much better chance of being competitive with Lagos than 3 or 4 mediocre ports.

The people essentially are just asking for one sea port in the area, preferably Rivers because its just about in the middle; however, they were refused.Why? Because of ethnicity. Pure dumbness. This is what led to these different areas fighting for ports.

chyz:

The people essentially are just asking for one sea port in the area, preferably Rivers because its just about in the middle; however, they were refused.Why? Because of ethnicity. Pure dumbness. This is what led to these different areas fighting for ports.

Can you provide some sort of documentation or reference for this? When were they refused this seaport? Under which administration?

BTW, I'm not calling you a liar, I just want to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.

DapoBear:

Can you provide some sort of documentation or reference for this? When were they refused this seaport? Under which administration?

BTW, I'm not calling you a liar, I just want to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.

The guy does not have any proof

He is just pulling stuff out of hid 'dorty' despoiled ars-e

chyz:

The people essentially are just asking for one sea port in the area, preferably Rivers because its just about in the middle; however, they were refused.Why? Because of ethnicity. Pure dumbness. This is what led to these different areas fighting for ports.

and why would ethnicity play a part in the country's development

why do u talk of rivers state, do u know that it is full of esturties which has low water level

i believe balysa or calabar would be perfect  but rivers NO

DapoBear:

Who though is going to spend money to build these things, though? I'm not opposed to Igbo liberation or whatever, even if it is just economic. But shouldn't the people who benefit from something be the ones paying for it? Like, if you want a port that benefits you and your people primarily, shouldn't you be willing to put money up?

I could see if the SW were getting tons and tons of federal projects alone. But we are not. What has the federal gov't done in Lagos, or any of the SW states lately? I think most of us are realizing that the federal government is useless, and anything we want to do, we will have to do ourselves.

Dapo they have already said they would put there own money up.you can even find the articles on the internet. The FG said no that they will not allow them. Do you think if it were that easy we wouldn't have already done that yeeeeears ago? There are still laws  and supreme laws on top of that that if broken will be hell to pay(army). Also, I doubt that about the FG hasn't done anything in the SW,although i do agree with the marginalisation, they just granted Ogun state a seaport lol. something that we in the East have been asking for for ages. As a matter of fact why would ogun even need a port? LOl.

alj harem:

and why would ethnicity play a part in the country's development

why do u talk of rivers state, do u know that it is full of esturties which has low water level

i believe balysa or calabar would be perfect  but rivers NO

You cant have a seaport in calabar genius. Did you not read what we were saying above? Better yet, do you not have a simple map?Lol. There are igbos in bayelsa and Akwa Ibom too so i am alright with that. Seems like all you are worried about is ethnicity. sorry, you need to learn about the SS and its ethnic areas and the people.

@ chyz and abagworo

i think i would support federalism now because regions prefer to have economical and political independence. the reason i am saying this is that if ethnicity can be involved in why tinapa is not developed then everyone should just control their own stuff abi?

chyz:

You cant have a seaport in calabar genius. Did you not read what we were saying above? Better yet, do you not have a simple map?Lol. There are igbos in bayelsa and Akwa Ibom too so i am alright with that. Seems like all you are worried about is ethnicity. sorry, you need to learn about the SS and its ethnic areas and the people.

i mean cross river

must there be igbos in bayelsa before u can call it ur seaport

how do u think, must ethnicity play part in seaport also

i know there are no igbos in balysa and cross river but does that mean seaport built in those areas will not serve it's purpose

so just because it not in a core igbo state, it means ethnicity is in it

chyz grow up