Traders and importers of goods in Onitsha, Anambra State, have been jubilating endlessly over the Federal Government’s opening of the Onitsha River Port for operation after 42 years of inactivity.
Their excitement is drawn from the fact that they would no longer have to travel to Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt to clear their goods henceforth.
Onitsha River port was built under the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1983 and since then, it has been lying fallow and completely unutilized until 2012 when it was rehabilitated and commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some of the setbacks to the opening of the port were the politicization and the shallowness of the River Niger, which could not allow ships to berth at Onitsha River port.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) penultimate Sunday commenced the test-run of containers movement between the Onne Port in Rivers State, the Onitsha River port in Anambra State and beyond.
Inaugurating the port, NIWA’s Managing Director, Dr George Moghalu, said the aim was to explore the potentials of inland water transportation among others.
According to Moghalu, he was happy that Onitsha River port was finally functional after 42 years of its construction.
“The aim of the test run is to break the jinx and encourage partnership with the Barge Operators Association, that it is possible to move containers from Onne to Onitsha by water successfully and Onitsha to Onne as well.
“This is the first phase of the test run and the second phase will be from the Lagos ports to Onitsha River port and from Onitsha to Lagos.
“NIWA is giving exemplary leadership to investors that moving goods on the waterways is economically viable and safe, so that investors can key in and benefit from the potentials of water transportation,” he said.
Moghalu, who said the exercise was in preparation for the full operation of the port, which will commence by the first quarter of 2021, noted that the full operation of the river port would boost economic activities in Anambra State and the entire South East, create jobs and wealth for the teeming youths, reduce bottle neck in clearing goods, save money wasted in transporting containers from different ports to the South East, decongest Lagos ports and reduce the pressure on our roads.
Some residents of Onitsha town, mainly traders and importers, who spoke to Daily Trust, said the opening of the port would reduce the additional cost they incur in the course of transporting goods down to the South East.
They expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and the port administrators for making it possible after 42 years.
The General Secretary of Onitsha Electronic Market, Deacon Damian Ugudike, said the South East would forever remember the president for finally opening the port to ease the pains they’ve been going through in the course of importing goods and transporting them to markets in Onitsha and South East.
He urged the government to prioritize on making it fully functional and effective because they have suffered so much in the process of clearing goods for the region in Lagos and Port Harcourt over the years.
“The benefits associated with this port are enormous.
“After passing through the stress of clearing the goods, the roads to transport them to the South East are bad, and most times containers fall in transit due to the terrible state of the roads,” he said.
He commended the Federal Government for the gesture and urged them to ensure regular movement of containers to the port to ease congestion on the already bad roads.
Mr. Rocky Mobi of Rocky International Business, an importer of furniture, said the opening of the Onitsha River port was a big relief to them.
“With this, we do not need to travel to clear goods in Lagos and other places and it will also create jobs for youths in the state and environs,” he said.
He said if goods are brought through Onitsha port, it would ease the stress in doing their business and rub off on the cost of goods.
According to him, transporting a container from Onne in Port Harcourt to Onitsha costs between N300,000 and N400,000; and the cost is added to the cost of importation thereby affecting the price of goods at the end of the day.
“Honestly, if the port is functional and effective, the prices of goods will come down,” he said.
Another importer, Fredrick Okafor of Fredmartins Electronics, said “All the roads leading to Onitsha are very bad. Owerri, Mgbidi roads are typical examples.
“And again, men of the Customs Service collect unclassified monies from us on the way.
“I heard about the opening of the Onitsha River port on social media but somebody told me that he saw a barge there early this week.
“I hope the use of the port would be sustained with regular movement of goods to the port,” he said.
Okafor, who noted that every importer in Onitsha would be happy to associate with the new development, however called on government to ensure that goods are frequently moved to the area and not just opening it and still forcing them to go to Port Harcourt and Lagos to clear goods.
Speaking to Daily Trust Saturday, the Area Manager of NIWA Area Office Onitsha, Anambra State, Mrs Queen Uba, said the Onitsha River port has taken off skeletally.
Uba said facilities have been put in place for effective take off and functionality in preparation for full operation next year when concession would have been concluded.
According to her, the port needs the support of the importers and other stakeholders to be functional and effective.
“A single barge can take up to 20 trailer load of containers and when these are off the roads, the roads will be freer.
“I call on all stakeholders to buy into the project and partner with NIWA for effective operations,” she said.
Uba, who said that the river was a better way of transportation because it has no traffic and cannot be contested, disclosed that one of the barges left Onitsha River Port last Thursday to Onne and would return by the weekend.
The Onitsha River Port Manager, Mr. Baba Spencer, said that the port was ready for use with all the facilities needed to operate effectively in place.
“While the concession is ongoing, the Connect Rail Services Limited has been contracted to use the port stacking yard as a bonded terminal to kick-start the functionalities of the port operation on temporary basis until the concession is fully concluded.
“When the port commences full operation, it would reduce the cost of moving goods and human from Onitsha to other parts of the country.
“The full operation of the port would promote and increase commercial activities and attract more investors into the state,” he said.
A trader in Onitsha main market, Mr Uche Akosim, hopes that with the opening of the port, prices of goods would reduce unlike when there were being cleared in Port Harcourt and Lagos.
“I want to thank the government and authorities of NIWA for heeding to the calls of traders in Onitsha.
“We will also plead with government to move all containers for south East to Onitsha Port,” he said.
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Anambra State, Chief Basil Ejidike, said the opening of the port by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was a demonstration of love for the people of the South-East geo-political zone.
According to Ejidike, making the Eastern Ports, especially Onitsha Port, viable have been of concern to the people long before now.
“Onitsha is a well-known commercial hub not only in Anambra, but in West Africa and making the port functional is of huge benefits to the people.
“This development will certainly open doors for job opportunities for our people as well as reduce the prices of goods in our markets,” he said.
The APC chairman stated that he was not surprised to see the reactivation of Onitsha Port under Dr George Muoghalu as the Managing Director (MD) of NIWA.
“Dr George Muoghalu, the present MD of NIWA, is a go-getter. When Mr. President appointed him to head NIWA, I knew that something better will begin to happen in that agency,” he said.
He urged the business community in the South-East to ensure they make the port viable by patronizing the facility.
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