Decongestion of Lagos Ports: House ad-hoc committee urge stakeholders to proffer solutions

 

BY NNAEMEKA ANENE

A member of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on ports decongestion in Nigeria, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi, has called on stakeholders in the maritime sector to come up with viable solutions that would help the committee achieve its objectives.

Hon. Ibezi, representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, noted that the Apapa gridlock had become a national disgrace and that stakeholders should be more concerned with proffering solutions than listing the problems, as these problems have been known for years.

He bemoaned the fact that the Nigerian Navy was still using the British hydrographic Chart of 1903 and challenged the stakeholders to be more proactive in proffering solutions to the problem, as “we must get it right this time by ensuring that the Eastern ports are put to maximal use.”

Hon. Ibezi spoke as maritime stakeholders in Nigeria gathered Thursday at the opening of a public hearing organised by the House of Reps Ad-hoc Committee and advanced reasons on why Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and Onitsha Inland ports are not being put to maximum use.

The stakeholders which included civil societies, MDAs, and security agencies listed inadequate security, shallow channels, poor and obsolete equipment, high siltation, lack of road infrastructure, lack of stable electricity supply, hostile attitude of host communities, lack of appropriate incentives and total neglect as the major challenges.

One of the startling revelations at the public hearing was the fact that Nigeria still uses the 1903 unreliable nautical charts which have discouraged vessels from plying most Eastern ports. For instance, the original survey data used to produce the two charts for entering Calabar Port were acquired by the British colonial government in 1903 and 1974, while those of Port Harcourt, Onne and Warri were acquired in 1910 and 1984, respectively.

Mariners place so much confidence on nautical charts and once there is doubt as to the accuracy of a chart, they would not ply such waterway.

It was also revealed that ports in the Eastern corridor have shallow channels and as such cannot accommodate bigger vessels except those that have flat bottoms. For instance, while Lagos port has a depth berth of between 9 to 13.5 meters, those of the Eastern corridor have the following depth: Onne (8 to 11 meters), Port Harcourt (7.1 to 9.1 meters), Warri (6.4 to 7.6 meters) and Calabar (5.4 to 6.4 meters).

Interestingly, ports in neighbouring countries like Ghana and Republic of Benin have depth of 19 and 15 meters, respectively.

The security challenge of vessels going to Eastern ports, it was disclosed, has become so worrisome that any ship on the route must carry what is termed “war insurance” with additional security.

Consequently, shipment from China to Lagos which cost $1,500 would cost between $4,000 to $5,000 to Calabar seaport, it was revealed.

The security agencies who appeared at the public hearing were unanimous in calling on Federal government to partner with other countries in the Gulf of Guinea Commission as well as relevant security agencies of the United Nations to checkmate activities of sea pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.

The chairman of the Committee, Hon. Baba Yusuf Yakub, assured Nigerians that the Committee was committed to ensuring the decongestion of the Lagos ports and the full utilisation of the Eastern ports. The Ad-hoc Committee will also hold public hearings with stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Lagos in a bid to ensuring a holistic approach towards solving the problem. The committee also plans to visit all the ports concerned.

It would be recalled that following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ibezi, the House set up a 14-man ad hoc committee with Hon. Baba Yusuf Yakub as its Chairman. Other members of the committee are Hon. Ibezi, Hon. Makama Missau Ibrahim, Hon. Onuh Blessing Onyeche, Hon. Haruna Maitala, Hon. Victor Amela, Hon. Nuhu Yakubu Danja, Hon. Aliyu Ibrahim Almustapha, Hon. Alex Egbona, Hon. Akiolu Moshood Kayode, Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo, Hon. Olayide Adewale Akinremi, Hon. Kalu Benjamin Okezie and Hon. Suny Goli Israel.