Maritime Lawyer Advises Transport Minister  To Prioritize Revamping Eastern Ports

By Roland Ekama

 

Frontline maritime lawyer, Barrister Osuala Emmanuel Nwagbara has advised the newly appointed Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’Azu Sambo to prioritize the  revamping of eastern ports for optimal utilisation in boosting revenue drive of the government and easing off perennial gridlock along Lagos ports corridor.

 

Nwagbara in an exclusive chat on Wednesday in Lagos, maintained that since the new Minister has a strong  knack for the maritime industry ,there was the need for him to hit the ground running with government’s political will power to change the narratives about other seaports in the country.

 

Apparently determined for an improved and  better port reforms , the maritime lawyer maintained that the Warri and Calabar seaports in Delta and Cross Rivers States respectively, need urgent attention by the government to boost vessels turnaround time and job creation for the teeming youths in those region.

 

According to him, the Warri, Koko , Calabar, Port Harcourt and Onitsha River ports must not be politicised under his watch as Minister , saying the idleness of the eastern ports if revamped  could return the fortunes of maritime potentials under his administration.

 

He said with Sambo’s wealth of experience in the industry, shipping activities should be diverted to the eastern ports, thus attention to restructure  the infrastructure  must be given top priority in furtherance to commence consultation , inspection or assessment in tackling the challenges facing the seaports outside Lagos Nigeria.

 

While emphasising on the need to dredge some of the ports to attract bigger ships, the lawyer urged the Minister to liaise with management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the best way out of addressing the controversial underwater pipeline at the Warri Port.

 

 

“The Minister should start a journey toward ensuring a robust port development reforms. We have talked so much on cargo discharge at Lagos ports.

 

*He does not need to spend over a year in office before he can make things work in achieving success”,he added.

 

 

 

Speaking further Nwagbara said ” I believe that the Minister doesn’t need to last for one year before he can perform because stemming vessels to the eastern ports from Lagos has multiple benefits.

 

“One of the benefits is that the cost of ports doing business in Nigeria will drop, And that is an immediate benefit for port users and operators.

 

“When ships are stemmed to other ports  and ships spend lesser time in our port. And if ships are regularly calling at the seaports aside Lagos then there will be job creation for the youth in that region.

 

“If ships spend lesser days at the ports, then issues of demurrage will reduce and automatically , cost of goods in the market will reduce as well.”

Recall that management of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA recently visited the Calabar port to ascertain the next line of action in a bid to revive and improve operational activities in the Niger Delta region.