The incessant congestion of Lagos Ports, despite recent massive road rehabilitation was one of the many issues at the front burner during the 2023 Conference and Awards ceremony organised by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Lagos.
The constant gridlock in and out of the port continues to be a source of worry for stakeholders.
Speaking at the Conference on Thursday, renowned maritime stakeholder and Chairman, Olinco Transworld Groups Limited, HRM Eze Dr. Oliver Ohanweh says the solution to the problem has been provided by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.
Eze Ohanweh, who is the Obi Gburugburu and paramount ruler of Isiama kingdom of Isiala-Mbano LGA, Imo State and represented by Emeka Iwueze, a Lagos based lawyer, reiterated that the answer is in the step taken by the Buhari administration on the prodding of Gov. Uzodimma that brought the former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to flag off the dredging of the Oguta- Orashi River on May 11, 2023.
While seeking the cooperation of journalists, especially AMJON to take the lead in the advocacy and realisation of the Orashi-Oguta Seaport dream, he stated that the suffering of many Nigerians would be reduced when a sea or river port becomes operational in the Southeast.
His words: “Going by the present economic realities of the country today and knowing very well that greater number of importers in Nigeria today are 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 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 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”
Commenting further, he noted that the poor masses are the ones who suffer for the over reliance on the Lagos Ports as importers transfer all the extra costs to them.
The monarch also called for for an urgent review on checkpoint proliferation, which causes unnecessary cargo delays on Nigerian roads.
“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 and other neighbouring countries”.
“On arms proliferation, modern technology as scanning machines, such could be detected thereby reducing cases of multiple checkpoints on the road which also cause haulage trucks to charge more for being delayed”.
Ohanweh was a recipient of the 2023 AMJON Excellent Leadership Award for his achievements in the maritime sector and frontline role in the actualisation of the Urashi-Oguta Seaport.
