By Uzor Odigbo
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has described the two Lagos Port Complexes of Apapa and TinCan Island as overwhelmed and at breaking points.
Gbajabiamila said this in Abuja at the opening session of a public hearing to determine why the Warri, Port-harcourt, Calabar, Onne and Onitsha River Port Complexes are not being put to maximal use.
The speaker who was represented by Deputy House Leader, Peter Akpatason, added that the ports are overstretched beyond their capacities and need support of other ports for ease of doing business and improved economy.
Chairman of the Committee, Yusuf Buba Yakub had earlier stated that his committee was out to query and determine why some of the ports have been operating below expected capacities.
Yakub added: “The committee seeks to also question why, in spite of the many efforts of government over the years which have come by way of building more port complexes,concession and complete involvement of private sector in some aspects of operations in the maritime sector.
“What this means is that about five inland port complexes in Warri, Calabar, Onitsha, Port Harcourt and Onne have all failed to provide alternative or even consummate services to aid decongestion of two Lagos Ports Complexes.”
Also speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari blamed the problems on security, lack of cooperation among agencies of government, multiple taxes, levies by some state government and depths of channels.
He blamed Cross Rivers State government and Local Government authorities for imposing levies that tend to discourage maritime
operators
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