FG Begins Concessioning Of Onitsha Ports In 2 Weeks


• N2.7b Oguta Project To Be Completed Next Year

FOUR months after commissioning the project, the Federal Government, through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), is to begin the process of concessioning the Onitsha River Port to a private individual in the next two weeks.

The N2.7billion Inland River Port in Oguta, Imo State will also be completed by March 2014.

The project, which was awarded to Scott Amede Engineering and Power Supply Ltd in partnership with Zhunhai Minghong Group Company Ltd in 2009, was originally scheduled for completion in March this year.

It was gathered at the weekend that, of the N2.7 billion value of the contract, the sum of N1.8bilion had been paid to the contractor.

Speaking when the National Good Governance Tour Team visited the port Complex in Onitsha, General Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Mike Dike, said contract for the rehabilitation of the port and supply/installation of Cargo handling equipment was awarded to Inter-Bau Construction Ltd in 2009 at the cost of N4.7billion, adding that the project was completed in March 2012 and commissioned by the President in September.

He observed that the President gave a directive that the port be concessioned. According to him, the concessioning process is in line with a “business study” that was sponsored by the World Bank. He noted that the satisfactory study was completed and submitted last month, saying that advertisement for the concessioning process would be due in two weeks time.

In his response, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said the first attempt to open up the nation’s waterways started in 1953 but was implemented under the late President Umar Yar’adua in 2009 with the dredging of the
Lower Niger, which has been completed.

The Minister noted that government has awarded the contract for consultancy services for the dredging of River Benue and is awaiting the report.

He observed that construction of the ports would open up economic activities in host communities as well as reduce pressure on the roads.

...To Revamp Lower Anambra Irrigation Project To Boost Rice Production

The Federal Government is to complete the rehabilitation of the deteriorated Lower Anambra irrigation project, which was established in 1981.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, who stated this at the weekend when he led the National Good Governance Team on a visit to the project site in Omor, Ayamelum Local Government Area of the State, said it had become necessary for government to revamp the project and hand it over to the private sector.

Maku observed that the Federal Government had created synergy with the private sector to achieve self sufficiency in rice production by 2015, which gave rise to the renewed momentum to harness the full potential of the Lower Anambra Irrigation Project.

He said, “”What the government is doing now is to prepare this project site for investment. I am sure that Anambra State alone can give Nigeria sufficient rice for domestic consumption and export,” he stated.

The Minister sadly noted that the irrigation project, which was established in 1981, was run down due to lack of maintenance, a situation he attributed to government’s characteristic inefficiency in handling such projects. According to him, under the new Agriculture policy, the private sector would take the lead in production to guarantee food security. He noted that the project, if handled by government agencies, would not achieve its desired goals.

“If we revive this agricultural project now and hand it over to the government to run, I can be very sure that, in another five years, we would come back and find the same problem,” he said.

He admitted that successive governments were unable to deliver on agriculture because they were based on the ideology that government should run agriculture to produce rice and sell in the market, the same reason many government agencies failed.

“If it was private farmers that had this opportunity, I am sure that the project would never have failed. It has not failed in other countries, but it failed here because of our attitude, in the public service particularly. This is the same reason the railway system failed, NITEL failed, Nigeria Airways and several other agencies… because government and public service was unable to run them…,” he said.

Managing Director of the project, Mr. Onu Eletuk, said that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Water Resources in 2005 commenced the rehabilitation of the project, but that work has not been completed due to inadequate release of funds.

According to him, the irrigation project, which was taking 20 cubic metres of water per minute from the Anambra River, suffered setback due to lack of maintenance from successive governments. This led to total collapse of the project.

“From the time it was established to the later 1990’s, a lot of facilities had broken down and production of rice from the project had reduced drastically.”

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111587:fg-begins-concessioning-of-onitsha-ports-in-2-weeks&catid=31:business&Itemid=562

Its about time...just a couple of weeks and the port would be congested like the rest of onitsha

GREAT.... Right on schedule..

Lagos will def. gonna feel the shock of Onitsha Port. Investors and importers/exporters in Onitsha are already waiting to tap from the Port facility and people of South-East and beyond will now import directly through the city of Onitsha. Good work

I hope they concessioned the port fast, as i want to see a beehive of activities going on in both Onitsha and Oguta Port.

I drive past that port - viewing it from the top of the bridge- everyday on my way to Onitsha and wonder why i have never seen a ship docked theregood development.

liberty300: Its about time...just a couple of weeks and the port would be congested like the rest of onitsha

You are a very big GOAT, if that is what u hv to say. ldiot.
Thanks to the federal govt. for this good move at last.

The turn of some people to win juicy contracts.

EASTSIDAZ: Lagos will def. gonna feel the shock of Onitsha Port. Investors and importers/exporters in Onitsha are already waiting to tap from the Port facility and people of South-East and beyond will now import directly through the city of Onitsha. Good work

SMH na wa for you....o Have u forgotten that Onitsha port does not have direct enterance from the Atlantic ocean?Also some big cargo ships cannot get to the Onitsha because of the shallowness of the water so all ships are bound to first berth in Lagos.The major purpose of the Onitsha Port is to enhance decongestion of the Lagos ports

Wow so am gona send my container straight to onisha?? Can't wait to start joor

Container di na high sea.

Gr8 move.....

WHAT CAN WE EVER DO WITHOUT GEJ,THIS IS ONE OF THE GOOD ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND ITS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

WAO......... That's a great move

Ok... Who said Gej is not working? Ehh? Shout loud? Who said? Na slowpoke!

Make them finish ibaka seaport self, and 9ja boys go them bring them containers! Dancing alingo!

Vision 2030 here we come
Long live the Federation

lovely.
Time to head back home.

De-Grace01:

You are a very big GOAT, if that is what u hv to say. ldiot.
Thanks to the federal govt. for this good move at last.

I'm not sure his post was meant to be an insult. A "congested" port will indicate that it is thriving.

Ebele kai ga eso,m'one jeje m'ona lala..little tricks to set up entrepreneurs in iboland.Is the rest of China not blessed for the success of her main entrepreneurs' haven in Shanghai and Guangdong,and in Malaysia,Kuchin,Johor Bahru...

chingyjant:
SMH na wa for you....o Have u forgotten that Onitsha port does not have direct enterance from the Atlantic ocean?Also some big cargo ships cannot get to the Onitsha because of the shallowness of the water so all ships are bound to first berth in Lagos.The major purpose of the Onitsha Port is to enhance decongestion of the Lagos ports

Please keep ur pessimism to your self. Your opinion doesnt matter at all.

good move Mr president

good one. gej is working

Goodluck ebele Jonathan is getting my vote come 2015! No weapon fashioned by Tinubu/bin-hari against his re-election shall prosper! Let there be even development in all d states. Atleast we can now heave a sigh of relief and let fashola and his constant "Go back to ur village mentality" die a natural death.

SAI GEJ!

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At least for the first time in south east

Nice move

remaining the next one...!

Jus watch out!! U won't c dem tribal bigots here. because its a gud news that concerns a certeain people.

Rubbish!


Thank You Jonathan!!!

chingyjant:
SMH na wa for you....o Have u forgotten that Onitsha port does not have direct enterance from the Atlantic ocean?Also some big cargo ships cannot get to the Onitsha because of the shallowness of the water so all ships are bound to first berth in Lagos.The major purpose of the Onitsha Port is to enhance decongestion of the Lagos ports

Most of the world channels are "MAN-MADE" do they have direct access to the sea? Igboland doesn't need pessimism just like several bigots on several threads, when Anambra has good administrator, by the time they are dredged that river to a good depth and constructed everything necessary, the entrance directly to the sea won't be a problem.

@topic, this is good news for Igbo people, at least, the port can be put to good use while plans and efforts are made to expand its scope.

Jonathan, oga adiri gi nma.

*smile for Jonathan*..... some ppl go die for this news, wey them dey

While GEJ is busy working haters are busy hating.

GEJ hv my vote already, we say thank u

manny4life:


Most of the world channels are "MAN-MADE" do they have direct access to the sea? Igboland doesn't need pessimism just like several bigots on several threads, when Anambra has good administrator, by the time they are dredged that river to a good depth and constructed everything necessary, the entrance directly to the sea won't be a problem.

with all due respect sir, you can't compare a sea port to a river port in terms of draft. The main purpose of river ports which onitsha port is one, is to increase the penetration or intermodalism of water based transportation, and as such is characterised by such crafts as barges and others requiring reduced draft. An ocean goin vessel cannot find its way to onitsha port, and incase you dont know, dredging of chan
nels is a continous process that is carried out on regular intervals to maintain a mean draft for the channels all year round, simply put, its not economically feasible
PS: i am an anambra igbo just giving my opinion as a maritime professional.

Don't use the port for massob activities.