Gazzete Onitsha cargo port now, stakeholders urge FG

Alphonsus Nweze, Awka

The federal government has been urged to complete the process of gazetting the Onitsha cargo port so that it will commence operations.

The call was made by participants at the 12th edition of “the perspective,” an annual lecture series organized by the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA), held at Sharon House, Onitsha.

President of the chamber, Donatus Ebubeogu, who fired the first salvo in his welcome address, said the federal government should as a matter of priority complete the gazetting of the Onitsha port for the port to commence operations.

He however, expressed displeasure that after Ameachi’s directive, nothing has been done, including the concession of the port which was slated to be completed by 2018, but is now embroiled in legal quagmire.

According to him, whenever the process of gazetting the port is completed and it eventually becomes functional, it will give a measure of relief to shippers and businessmen in the South East region.

“It will take both economic and political will to fully concession the Onitsha port in order to tap from its huge economic benefits to businesses located in the commercial cities of Onitsha, Nnewi and Aba, and save the economy the added cost of transporting goods from Lagos to the South East,” he stated.

Ebubeogu commended efforts made by the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Sen. Olorunimbe Mamora, which culminated in the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi, approving the declaration and gazetting of the port.

Also, Director General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Ms. Obiageli Obi, said that the Onitsha port technically was ready for use and has the capacity to carry 624 million tons of commodity freight annually for use in the country and for export.

She said Julius Berger successfully moved all its equipment to be deployed in the construction of the second Niger Bridge by water through the Lagos channel to the Onitsha port.

“The continued reluctance to exploit this critical water resource and important mode of transportation has ensured that our nation’s roadways are consistently battered with serious mortality and negative multiplier effects to our global economic competitiveness and our quality of life,” Obi said.

But responding, NIWA chief executive who was represented by his technical adviser, assured that the federal government has perfected plans to gazette the port as the first inland port of destination for cargo coming into the county from any part of the world and the origin port to cargo going out of the country as export.

He assured that Onitsha port would be also be recognised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), adding that “as part of the process the port, the port will henceforth, be manned by the customs, immigration, port health services and other relevant agencies of government to enable the clearance of import and export cargoes at the Onitsha port.”

The annual lecture was attended by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, the traditional ruler of Aba, Igwe Leonard Eze, Dr. Okey Chidolue and the President, Association of Anambra Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Humphery Ngonadi among other personalities.