AGAIN, the commissioning of the Onitsha River Port Complex has remained stalled, even after President Jonathan announced, on his return from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month, that it would be opened for business by end of June 2012.

Investigation shows that, so far, it has been a guessing game over when the port would become operational, as nothing in particular could be said to be the reason for the delay.

Since September 18, 2011, when The Guardian published a story on the planned commissioning of the port by the Federal Government in order to improve commerce and transportation, hopes had been raised among Nigerians, especially businessmen, that the promise to open the place would be fulfilled. Many had hoped that it won’t be a case of another failed promise like the ones made by government with respect to structures like the Zik’s Mausoleum, Second Niger Bridge and the federal roads in the eastern states.

Situated on the eastern side of the River Niger in Onitsha, Anambra State, the port is seen as a facility that would boost business activities in the entire South East. However, the seeming non-compliance with President Jonathan’s commissioning timetable as well as the resident engineer’s comment on the commissioning last year, have left many interested in the project’s take-off flustered.

Inter BUA, the company saddled with the responsibility of refurbishing the vandalised equipment at the port had completed rehabilitation of the port since January.

Last year, the Resident Engineer, Onitsha River Port Complex, Emmanuel Aguda told The Guardian at the complex that the president would commission the port before December 2011, having shown unreserved interest in flagging off its operations. But it’s no longer clear, whether the president’s initial passion to launch the project is still firm, even as he reassured Nigerians of possible commissioning before the end of last month (June).

However, when the proposed dates (December, 2011 and June 2012) for the commissioning of the complex elapsed, it heightened the concern for those positioning themselves to take advantage of the port in doing their businesses.

Meanwhile, many businessmen have wondered why the commissioning of the project is being delayed. However, there were some speculations that unconcluded talks on the concessioning have been the cause of the delayed take off.

A source from the corporation told disclosed that nobody could provide an answer with respect to why the President has not commissioned the port. “The only thing that a typical Nigerian would tell anyone is that it will soon be commissioned. We have done our part and we have sent our reports, waiting for the government to do theirs. I can’t say what’s on the President’s mind concerning the commissioning.”

The source revealed that each time it was suspected that the president would commission the port, Inter BUA would rush and repaint the complex. “Of course, nobody can take it away from them until it’s commissioned, but this is not healthy. I’m scared that they will soon bring another bill for us to pay. President should come and commission the port to stop these unnecessary expenditures.”

The Deputy Manager, Corporate Affairs, Nigerian Inland Waterways (NIWA), Mr. Dike Fadile, confirmed the report that the project had been completed, adding that there were ongoing arrangement on concession of the complex for efficiency.

“This is what government has started doing with all its projects today, but for now, we are still in charge. The Ministry of Transport will communicate us when the new date is fixed. I can assure you that within next two months, the president will commission the port.”

According to Aguda, the rehabilitation work has been completed with equipment in place for takeoff. “We are waiting for the commissioning by the president. He said on May 29 broadcast that he would commission the port himself. We cannot fix a date for him.”

The Guardian gathered that in 1985, former President Alhaji Sehu Shagari had commissioned the project with little or no equipment in place. These were part of the attempts to bring the port to life but such broken promises on the commissioning of the project experienced today, were responsible for abandonment of several projects in the eastern region by the current and successive administrations.

For the easterners, who thought they were in a gentleman’s agreement with the President on the commissioning of the port, construction of the long-awaited Second Niger Bridge and reconstruction of the eastern roads, as a condition for supporting Jonathan’s candidature in the 2011 presidential race, nerves are beginning to get frayed.

Today, the complex is still lying fallow, creating rooms for further vandalism and plunder of the replaced equipment. The lack of equipment was the initial excuse for not commissioning the port, even as it was gathered that the FG has been running a skeletal administration in the complex for past two years, paying workers’ salaries for an agency that brings zero revenue to the country.

Also, in order to exploit various economic gains that would accrue to the area as a result of the project, the former Director, Ministry of Transport, Mr. Kingsley Agha said the Ministry had dredged the river to the depth of 2.5 metres to create a water channel and deepen the river to allow for free passage of ships, boats and barges on the water.

He said, “Early this year, we flagged off and televised the first ceramic tiles manufacturing company that moved their barge on the river from Lokoja to Onitsha. The river is now passable. The barge carried a load that 30 trailers will carry at the same time.”

He noted that there are other boats that have low draft that could carry as much as 50 containers of 40ft each, saying that the boats and barges will move goods from Warri in Delta State to Port Harcourt in Rivers State and find their way to Onitsha. From there there would be a direct route from Lagos to Onitsha as well as Lokoja.

Agha added that the complex was ready for commissioning with new exotic mobile cranes that will lift goods from the ship to the quay platform, adding that one barge can carry loads that 60 trailers can carry and by so doing, pressure on the roads would be reduced.

REcall that the project was conceived and awarded 29 years ago, during the regime of President, Shehu Shagari, under the Central Water Transportation (CWT), but was abandoned due to corruption, cut throat politics and the liquidation of the agency. Since then, the construction of this port has been moved from contractor to another, causing many years of delay.

In the course of the project, several sub-contractors have been assigned aspects of the jobs. The new Asaba Airport, a few kilometers away on the other side of the river, would give leverage to the revenue potential of the port and boost prospect of the region as another thriving economic hub in Nigeria.


Author of this article: By Chijioke Iremeka

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=onitsha%20port&source=web&cd=17&ved=0CFkQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardiannewsngr.com%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D93040%3Aonitsha-river-portpromises-on-concession-commissioning-still-unresolved%26catid%3D181%3Acityfile%26Itemid%3D708&ei=AvYNUPPHIaew0QWy2ICQBg&usg=AFQjCNECD9C4A7dIGsgD7LGY3BV1xd9o9Q

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Goodluck is working....Obi is working....Anambra is working.....to God be the glory.

Just like the 'international' airport GEJ commisioned about 2 years ago, Ndigbo have another world-class project as evidence of payback for the support given during the last presidential elections....nice one.

On a more serious note: either GEJ has lost interest in this project, or the forces gathered against Igbo interests are greater than he and Obi can manage; it's either one or the other.

Smh... Make i waka pass, befor the 40 laptops come catch me here...

Akabo le le O.

This is what they should fight be occupied with, rather they are more occupied with "commissioner" in eko.

Azi gbakwa ihe ojo.

The port can be operational before it is commissioned but can vessels really move up that river.

from the story it is not as if it has not been completed.the issue is commissioning.

otokx: The port can be operational before it is commissioned but can vessels really move up that river.

small and medium barges not big ones that birth the lagos ports.crude oil is already being moved from there to onne port.

Thanks for sharing.

asha 80: small and medium barges not big ones that birth the lagos ports.crude oil is already being moved from there to onne port.

Whatever economic gain gotten from using a big barge in Lagos ports would be lost in the check points, bad roads and taxes of Lagos state. Ultimately, the River port would be a cheaper option especially for Eastern traders.

SmartTalk:

Whatever economic gain gotten from using a big barge in Lagos ports would be lost in the check points, bad roads and taxes of Lagos state. Ultimately, the River port would be a cheaper option especially for Eastern traders.

^^^So why is the Onitsha port not being used?

PROUD-IGBO:


^^^So why is the Onitsha port not being used?

The NIWA said 2 months back dat they want to concession d port to private hands 1st b4 d port starts full operatn; d concessioning process wud end by d 1st quarter of nx yr according to dem....dis was d last info i got 4rm dem, dont know hw d concessioning process is faring at d moment