Workers and users of the Eastern and Rivers Ports have decried what they described
as decades of neglect and abandonment of the Ports, a challenge that dates back to the Nigerian Civil War.
Speaking during an interaction with a delegation of Energy and Maritime Reporters Rivers State led by the Chairman Martins Giadom, the stakeholders lamented the failure of successive administrations to address the infrastructural decline of the Rivers Port.
According to them, the low draught from the Fairway Buoy has restricted vessel access, discouraged freight, and drastically reduced maritime activity in the Eastern Ports, stifling trade and investment in the region.
They called on governors of the South-South states to “wake up from their slumber” and confront the Federal Government over the abandonment of the port, stressing that dredging and modernization are essential to unlocking the economic potential of the Eastern Ports.
“Governors of the South South region wake up from their slumber and confront the Federal Government on the abandonment caused by low draft from the fare bowl to increase freight to the Eastern Ports which affected business and low Maritime activities at the Rivers Port.
Also Read: Fuel Marketers Escalate Feud with Dangote Refinery
The port had been in a sorry state for decades due to poor access roads, shallow river channels preventing large vessel access, inadequate equipment and infrastructure, ongoing insecurity along port access routes, and corruption, all of which increase operational costs and hinder the economic viability and vessel traffic in the region. These factors contribute to higher transportation costs for Eastern traders as cargo is rerouted to Lagos they said.
The aggrieved workers attributed the negligence to lack of political will from the government to invest in essential port infrastructure thereby creating a harsh economic environment for the workers.
They appealed to the Federal government to look into the economic potentials of the Eastern and Rivers Ports to the state and the country in general, and prevent them from total collapse.
The Eastern Port comprises Rivers Port, Onne Port, Calabar Port, Onitsha Port, and Delta Port. In contrast, the Rivers Port Complex in coastal Rivers State comprises Port of Port Harcourt, Okrika Refined Petroleum Oil Jetty, Haastrup/Eagle Bulk Cement Jetty, Kidney Island Jetty, Ibeto Jetty, Macobar Jetty, and Bitumen Jetty.
