Apex Ijaw youths governing body, the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, on Monday, called on the Federal Government to direct the Ministry of Transport to open up the neglected Sea Ports in the Niger Delta for business.
The council said opening up the N’Delta ports will decongest Lagos Ports and solve the traffic gridlocks in the city.
IYC president, Roland Pereotubo, in a statement sent to theportcitynews, also urged government to direct importers and exporters to take their goods to the ports in Niger Delta.
“As the nation is groaning over the congestions of the sea ports in Lagos, which has hitherto being causing traffic gridlocks in the city, IYC wish to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the litanies of sea ports in the Niger Delta region in order to save the country from the present quagmire.
“The ports in the Niger Delta have the capacity to decongest Lagos ports, but Niger Delta region has been deliberately abandoned, segregated and marginalised for long by successive Nigerian governments since independence. In Delta State, we have a deep seaport and a dockyard in Burutu Island, at which mother vessels can load and off load goods.
“We also have Koko, Warri and Sapele ports in the state that can take care of the problem in Lagos. The proposed Deep Sea Port at Agge community in Bayelsa State as another economic hub of the country that has been abandoned by the Nigerian government.
“Again, the Calabar port in Cross-Rivers state is another viable economic hub that has received no government attention. All these ports and others in the region if revamped will solve the problem in Lagos.” Related
