FG should dredge Urashi Seaport, Gov. Uzodimma’s vision on Lagos ports decongestion—Imo Monarch

 

Paul Ogbuokiri

 

As the notorious Apapa traffic gridlock worsens, maritime stakeholders have continued to express concern over the situation, even as it has been noted that the most pragmatic solution to the problem is the dredging and operationalisation of the Urashi Seaport being championed by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.

Speaking at the 2023 Conference and Awards ceremony organised by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) at Apapa Lagos, foremost maritime practitioner and Chairman of Olinco Transworld Group, His Royal Majesty Eze Dr. Oliver Ohanweh said a lasting solution to the congestion of Lagos ports and the Apapa gridlock lies on that step taken by the Muhammadu Buhari administration on the prodding of Gov. Uzodimma that brought the former Vice President Yomi Osinbajo to flag off the dredging of the Oguta- Orashi River on 11 May, 2023.

Eze Ohanweh, the Obi Gburugburu and the paramount ruler of Isiama kingdom of Isiala-Mbano LGA, Imo State and a 2023 AMJON EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP award recipient for his achievements in the maritime sector and frontline role in the actualization of the Urashi- Oguta Seaport, gave the advice in keynote speech during the AMJON 2023 Conference and Awards ceremony in Lagos, on Thursday.

The foremost Imo traditional ruler and accomplished industrialist who was represented by Emeka Iwueze, a Lagos based legal practitioner, sought the cooperation of journalists especially AMJON to take the lead in the advocacy and realization of this laudable Orashi- Oguta Seaport dream.

He emphasised that about 18 nautical miles distance of Urashi to the Atlantic ocean is by far more economical to manage than the Lagos ports which is 50 nautical miles to the sea.

According to him, other Nigerian ports like Port Harcourt seaport is 50 nautical miles to the Atlantic front through the Bonny River.  Onne seaport was dredged up to 60 nautical miles to the Atlantic and Calabar seaport was dredged 45 nautical miles to the Atlantic. Ibaka seaport is about 30 nautical miles to the Atlantic.

Eze Ohanweh decried the suffering of very many Nigerians which he said could be reduced when a sea port becomes operational in the southeast.

He said, “Going by the present economic realities of the country and knowing very well that greater number of importers in Nigeria today is Igbos of the Southeast who constitute greater number of the freight forwarders, import 60 per cent of all the containers leaving Apapa/Tin-can seaports to the eastern part of Nigeria.

“These importers eventually move their goods (containers) to southeast from Lagos.  There is need to facilitate the dredging/ construction of the Urashi Seaport in Imo State commissioned in May 2022 by the former Vice President Prof. Yomi Osinbajo.

“I want to thank His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma who saw the importance of dredging this seaport to alleviate the sufferings of importers and by extension the generality of Nigerians.

“Urashi Seaport will seamlessly link the Oseskwa Seaport in Ihiala, Anambra State which will no doubt benefit States like Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers Edo and Kogi.

“The sea port if revived would not only decongest Lagos, it would provide jobs, increase revenue base of the Federal Government, have multiplier effect on the agro and socioeconomic development of the old Eastern Region.

The royal father sounded it clear that anyone or agency directly or indirectly sabotaging the realization of the port is enemy of the people. Reminded that importers despite the numerous losses they bore, they would eventually transfer all the costs to the already impoverished Nigerians.

“Despite congestion at Lagos ports of Apapa and Tin-Can, movement of goods from Lagos to the Southeastern markets of Onitsha, Nnewi, Aba and Owerri comes with much cost as a result of extortions by some dishonest law enforcement officers and other agencies, coupled with delays and other challenges faced in the course of moving goods down to the importers’ warehouses in the east. All these add heavy costs to the goods which are finally transferred to common Nigerians (the final consumer) who consume them in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries,” he said.

In his paper presentation at the conference, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA), Munirudeen Oyebamiji, ably represented by NIWA’s GM, Business Development, Surveyor Olumide Adetola, said discovery of oil in the country caused government to neglect development of inner waterways, as they shifted their focus on coastal areas where they were doing oil businesses to the detriment of the inland waterways.

Apart from finance which he said is militating against the realisation of the ports development, security he said remains a major albatross.

The general Manager therefore called on private partners to come to the rescue.

“Government is saying they don’t have enough money to provide these services, we have been looking into the issue of Public Private Partnership (PPP)

So that some of the things we have that the government has not been able to complete, private individuals or private investors can come in and complete it for us, use it for some number of years and return back to government.

“Like the Ogata River Port abandoned for over 20years, if there is an investor that will be ready to complete it, then use it for number of years, government will be interested in giving any investor opportunity to try what they can do on it.

“Apart from PPP, we are looking at aids and grants from international donors who will assist in the development of infrastructures. There are so many things we can do on the water ways but it’s funds that will determine,” he stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, AMJON president, Paul Ogbuokiri emphasized that Nigeria’s Balance of Trade year in year out has always been unfavorable.

He expressed concern over the poor state of the country’s mono-cultural economy which needs urgent attention of the Federal Government to steer the country away from this crisis and diversify as urgent as possible and take the greater advantage of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the recent deal between the Customs Administrations of Nigeria and Benin Republic.

“When economists listed the dangers of a mono economy, it sounded like a song meant mainly for entertainment; even with the occasional fall of the price of crude oil in the international market which usually shocks our economy whenever it happens. But we normally forget once the price goes up again and things normalize. As such, beyond sloganeering, we have never seemed to bother ourselves with the fact that our Balance of Trade year in year out has been unfavorable to us.

“Now the shock has become permanent because our crude oil has become encumbered, a large portion of it now goes into payment of debts acquired and squandered by politicians, while the other portion is being stolen by powerful people; we are therefore left with little or no foreign exchange to finance our necessary and unnecessary imports.”

The AMJON President added that though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hit the ground running with different strategies and appointments especially the appointment of Minister of Marine and Blue Economy in order to rectify the woes of the economy since he assumed office, there is still need to re-strategize more on full local production for our consumption as done in the 70s and 80s.

“As we strongly believe that trade in non-oil exports holds the key to Nigeria’s economic survival, particularly with regard to intra-African trade. With platforms like Economic Community of West Africa States Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the recent deal between the Customs Administrations of Nigeria and Benin Republic. We believe that discussions should center on trans-border trade between our country and its neighbours with the view to identifying any encumbrance that could hamper trade now or in the future. When we focus more on our local produce for consumption, we can sell the excess to other countries for our forex needs,” he said