Four months after the commencement of the dredging of the Calabar Port Channel, work has stopped at the site.

Our correspondent gathered that the dredging work commenced on the port channel in December last year, but the workers had yet to resume after going on a break in January.

The President, Cross River Shippers’ Association, Mr. Mike Ogodo, said in a telephone interview with our correspondent, “Definitely, all stakeholders are concerned because the contract has already been awarded. We want to get value for money.

“I was told by the port managers, EcoMarine, that the workers have not returned to the site since January 2015 perhaps due to the general elections. We cannot tell the extent of work though; the technical details of how deep or wide the dredging should be may not be available to EcoMarine.

“We don’t know the extent of work that has been done. What we are aware of though is that they started late last year and stopped in January.”

A N20bn contract was last year awarded for the dredging of the port channel, whose operation has been affected by the shallowness of the channel.

In the last 18 years, the Federal Government at various times awarded contracts for the dredging of the channel.

The latest contract brings to N32.08bn the amount that has been expended on the dredging of the channel over the years.

The dredging is expected to last two years and increase the draught of the channel from eight metres to 10 metres.

In an effort to open up the Calabar region, the Nigerian Ports Authority on May 25, 2012 entered into a joint venture agreement with the Niger Global Engineering and Technical Services, which gave birth to the Calabar Channel Management Limited.

Like its counterparts, the Lagos Channel Management and the Bonny Channel Management, the CCM is expected to dredge and maintain the Calabar navigational channel.

Dredgers, survey vessels, buoyage tenders, wreck removal cranes and other ancillary marine crafts were reportedly mobilised to the site last year following the official inauguration of the dredging project.

Controversy over contracts to dredge the 84-nautical mile Calabar Port access channel dates back to 1996 when the then Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, awarded the first contract for N3bn but was never executed.

In 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded another contract to two Dutch firms, Van Oord Limited and Jan-de-Nul, for N9.8bn. While Van Oord reportedly got $26m to dredge from Kilometre 0 to 46, Jan-de-Nul got $30m to dredge from Kilometre 46 to 84.

Both companies were expected to scoop out 25 million cubic metres of sand to achieve an overall draught of eight metres. The entire project was subsequently mired in controversy and litigation when the two companies began work on October 19, 2006 and allegedly demobilised from the location in December after excavating the said volume of sand.

However, about 24 kilometres of the channel were left untouched and without buoys on the dredged part. In the absence of buoys, the excavated sand quickly filled the dredged portion and rendered the initial effort useless.

President Goodluck Jonathan had said during the inauguration of the dredging last year that the controversial contract had been executed based on a 2004 survey, which did not take into account the actual volume to be excavated as of the time it was awarded.

He said, “As of the time the Calabar Port was opened for operations, it had a depth of eight metres. Although the port created opportunities in the South-South and West African region, there was a need to increase the depth.

“In 2004, the process to increase the depth from eight metres to 12 metres was initiated. Despite awarding the contract in 2006, the port could not be put to use because the channel had not been dredged to expectation. The contract had been awarded based on a biometric survey conducted in 2004.”

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr. Musa Iliya, could not be reached for comments. However, his deputy, Mr. Suwaib Issa, said, “It is not as if the contractor has packed out of the dredging site, but the pace of the dredging has slowed down due to lack of funds.

“The contractor is saying that funds are not being given to it. If it is going to continue at the site, it will need more funds to execute the project. Work is not going on as it should be in terms of speed.”

@Op, source please!

The same seaport they claimed will destroy Lagos economy.

Where d fvck is lagos
@ d dude above me
Say no to "change"
Say yes to transformation

emmatok:
The same seaport they claimed will destroy Lagos economy.

the one you are referring to is ibaka not calabar

Real Transformation and Progress

I'm impressed

superstar1:
The contract had been awarded based on a biometric survey conducted in 2004.”

no wonder the thing cannot work.
i been think say biometric have to do with eye (and finger print).

they should get oyinbo to do another kain work.
biometric survey can never work in calabar port.
moreover, i never see plenty calabar people dey wear glasses.