A Niger Delta activist and Ijaw opinion leader, Dr. Clarkson Aribogha, has called on the Federal Government to end the high-level plot by some highly placed people to ensure that only Lagos Port is functional, while Calabar, Warri, Burutu , Sapele and Koko Ports in the South-South remain dormant.
Dr Aribogha, who spoke to reporters in Warri, slammed the federal government for an alleged tactical delay in dredging the Escravos Bar in Warri South-West local government area, appealing to the Minister of Transport, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, to meet President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently release funds for the purpose.
His words: “Government should know that Escravos Bar is just the entering point, but Warri Port is the main thing. We want the dredging from the Escravos down to Warri Port so that vessels can be coming to Warri.”
“We also want the Federal Government to know that dredging of Escravos Bar will assist in no small measure to bring in more revenue to the government. Politically, it is Lagos Port that all vessels go to for a long time now, whereas there are other ports such as Calabar, Burutu, Sapele and Koko Ports that are dormant.
“Presently, Lagos port is congested and government is complaining bitterly while other ports are not in use. If I may ask, why only Lagos port that is operating years back, Warri port was operating, but some persons favoured only Lagos port, hence the rest ports in the South-South, especially in Delta state have remained inactive.
“The long and short of it is that the conspirators want everybody to go to Lagos so that they can make more money at the expense of the other ports lying fallow in Niger- Delta. In fact, nothing is wrong with Port-Harcourt, Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko ports, it is people, who connived in ensuring that only the Lagos port is functioning,” he asserted.
Credit: Vanguard
