Port Harcourt Port Terminal ‘A’ ready for business, says Nwadialo, Customs boss
Written by TONY NWANKWO
Sunday, 08 March 2009

INSTITUTIONAL and governmental efforts to woo port users: importers, exporters and top businessmen across the country to use the now developed and ready Port Harcourt Terminal ‘A’ Ports in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Top on the bill are port importers in the south-east and south-south, who suffer untold hardships in the payment of avoidable demurrage accruing from delays, at the oft congested Lagos (Apapa and Tin-Can) ports being compounded by the hazzards of dilapidated, ill-maintained Sagamu-Benin Express Road that result in collapsed container trucks that had cost merchants several billions of Naira.

Terminal ‘A’ Port Harcourt port, the premier port of Eastern Nigeria built in 1913, disastrously affected by the civil war is back and the comptroller general of Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Bernard Shaw Nwadialo, says all should rejoice and come over to benefit from the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment provided by the new owners. He praised efforts of the world-renowned port construction giant, Trevi Company for the five-metre ocean reinforced quay walls and Costain (WA) for the well over 500 meters long stacking area and access roads, an appreciative customs personnel and ports management, all rearing to do business at the port.

This assessment was made recently, as assistant comptroller general of Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Salisu Argungu, representing the comptroller general, spoke while commissioning the new office complex donated to the Nigeria Customs Service by the Port Harcourt Terminal new owners, Ports and Terminal Operators Nigeria Limited, PTOL. He called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the concessioners in appreciation of what had been invested in the Port Harcourt port.

PTOL chairman, Chief Dennis Okafor said the official commissioning and dedication of the new office complex was a public statement that the company was prepared to properly partner with the Customs Command to provide improved ports service, while company director, Chief Mike Nwaukoni said PTOL was committed to providing Nigerian port users with a world-class port in Port Harcourt, urging stakeholders to take advantage of the modern facilities provided by patronising the port. Also at the occasion, company managing director and arrow-head of the operations, Mrs. Elizabeth Ovbude, said the company directors were leaving no stone unturned in their bid to ensure that port users get the best from Port Harcourt Terminal ‘A’ port.

The comptroller general said the project was the first of its kind in the country and commended PTOL for their patriotism and complete belief in the progress and development of the nation. “If you put together the amount of money the PTOL has expended to bring up this structure and estimate the resources they have put in place to make this port possible, you know a lot of resources have been expended. Which, if you look at the activity in the port, it cannot be compared to what was being generated. It means they have a belief that the future of this country is bright.”

The Customs boss said it was not sufficient to cry over ports congestion in Lagos. “We have ports in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri, all these ports are virtually empty, but everyday we are shouting congestion, congestion in the ports. Are these ports not in Nigeria?”, he queried, and asked the ports authority to take decisions that must benefit the nation, by calling on ocean liners who must come to Nigeria to call on these eastern ports. He said the so-called insecurity bandied by critics was just on paper, citing the Onne Ports where vessels call daily without incidents.

Where in Port Harcourt is this Terminal "A" located?

otokx:

Where in Port Harcourt is this Terminal "A" located?

Thank you for asking this question.
i was beginning to think the airport and the terminal are far apart.

the journalist didnt do a very good job writing this up.

nonetheless, the reopening of the airport is long overdue.

The terminal A is refering to some part of the sea port. The 2 airports in Port Harcourt have always been operational at least to daytime flights.