Posted on July 11, 2019
Fresh insight has emerged on why the planned dredging of the Calabar seaport project was aborted.
Independent investigation by The Nation revealed that the decision to stop the project was not unconnected with rising inflation which affected the cost component of the project.
Besides, the unviability of the Calabar seaport may have also made it an unwise decision to continue with the project.
Shedding more light on the development, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Ms Hadiza Bala Usman who recalled that she had inherited a joint venture for the Calabar Channel Management dredging, however lamented that she had no qualms at all with cancelling the project because of what she described as inexplicable cost.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation recently, the NPA boss recounted that, “hitherto, I inherited a Joint Venture for the Calabar Channel Management Dredge and that was a big issue that we had to cancel. It’s an ongoing investigation about an unverifiable dredging works. So we have started another process. But it translated into huge volumes to the extent that we are looking at spending about N45-50billion on dredging of Calabar Port.”
Expatiating, she said, “When you look at the volumes of cargo that can come to that region, it’s very high so there is no justification in terms of revenues coming into the port to justify that volume of investment. But indeed, even if you dredge, you will only dredge to 10 metres. And right now, the global trend for shipping is deep seaports. So spending that amount of money will not attract the current trend of vessels being made. So those vessels that are being made now require deep seaports, about 17 metres draft and you cannot dredge 6-17 metres. So what we are doing now is we are encouraging bringing in flat bottom vessels to Calabar and we are encouraging having deep seaports in that area so that it would address the issue in totality. It’s like you want to do something but that thing you want to do has been overtaken by events.
“Even if we spend N50billion, we will only dredge it up to 10metres and now vessels of 10metres are not the vessels that are in trend. The vessels that require 17metre are the trend so it’s of no value for the Nigerian government to invest in that. So we are working on having flat bottom vessels as well as encouraging deep seaports.”
In a related development, the outgoing Manager of the Calabar Port, Mrs Funmilayo Olotu, has said that business activities had improved tremendously since she assumed office in October 2016.
She spoke at an interactive session organised by the management of the port recently to welcome the newly-appointed manager, Mrs. Marie Asein in Calabar.
Olotu expressed appreciation to the staff and management of the Calabar Port, as well as other stakeholders for the successes achieved during her tenure.
She said, “We have achieved a lot since 2016 when I assumed office as Calabar port manager; at least we can confidently say that the volume of business activities have increased.
“I want to appreciate all of you. It has been a wonderful time in Calabar. “I appreciate the Nigerian Navy for securing the port. Sometimes, we had pockets of issues here and there but they were always there. All other stakeholders in the Calabar port, I appreciate you all. I want to say that anything we have achieved in the past two years or so has been the collective efforts of all. Thank you very much and God bless you.’’
Source: thenationonlineng.net
