by Mitchelle Uzorka
The Ministry of Transportation has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to reposition the Onne Port to maximise its capacity and huge export and import trades potentials.
Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, who gave the assurance at Onne in Rivers State Thursday at the commencement of his three-day fact-finding tour, said that part of the reasons he was visiting was “to look into why the Rivers ports are not working.
“Whatever the challenges are, we will address them. I will discuss with stakeholders and we will come up with short term, medium term and long term plans on how to overcome those challenges and make the ports productive.”
Also, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, said that government was serious about the need to increase traffic at the Eastern Ports so as to decongest the Lagos ports.
He added, “We are working with the Nigerian Navy to improve security on our waterways and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has deployed assets under the Deep Blue Project that would be working with the Nigerian Navy to improve security along the waterways.”
The terminals visited by the minister included WACT, Intels, OMT, and Brawal.