Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A group known as the Rivers Entrepreneur and Investments Forum, REIF, has commended the Federal Government for approving the siting of a deep seaport in Bonny Island.
Recall that the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, last Wednesday announced that the Federal Executive Council has approved the construction of a deep seaport in Bonny under PPP at the cost $461,924,369, at no cost to the federal government.
President of the group, Mr. Ibifiri Bob-manuel, reacting to the development explained that the Bonny deep seaport project will open up the market for investors in the country.
Bob-manuel said the concept of a deep seaport project simply means that NPA was thinking out of the box, because all the existing seaports in the country are all river ports.
He added that the project will open up Nigeria’s eastern region for business, while calling on the Rivers State Government and Federal Government to work harmoniously to achieve the project.
“The kind of vessels that are coming from different ports in the world today are very large vessels. This project generally puts Nigeria at the forefront in driving deepsea ports in Africa which very good.
“For us at Investors Forum, it is a welcome development meaning that in the next five years, Nigeria’s economy will be much better.
“The cost of hauling your goods from Lagos to Onitsha or from Port Harcourt to Onitsha by road, if you compare that to hauling it through the waterways, you find out that it is cheaper.
“I think it’s good business for us, it will encourage the flow of business around the eastern region of the country.
“What we are saying at the Investors Forum is that all of us should come together and support this project. That the State Government, the Federal Government should work harmoniously to achieve this project.”
