By Uzor Odigbo
Eze Dr Oliver Ohanwe, the traditional ruler of Ihim Isiama autonomous community in Okigwe, Imo State, has urged President Bola Tinunbu to approve Orashi Seaport for construction.
He said approval of the Orashi Seaport for immediate construction is the most crucial thing President Tinubu can do for the South East geopolitical zone which has the three most important commercial and industrial towns (Onitsha, Aba and Nnewi) in the country.
Eze Ohanwe, who is also the CEO of Olinco Marine Travel Services, with operational locations in all ports in the country, lauded the project, saying, the development of the seaport will address most of the economic problems of the South East geopolitical zone and hasten the economic growth of Nigeria.
Eze Ohanwe made the call when he was briefed of a proposed sensitization conference slated to hold early next month to drum up support of relevant authorities for the development of the Urashi Seaport.
He said that the development of the seaport becomes necessary in view of the fact that about 90 per cent of those who use port services aside the big multinational companies, are South East businessmen who, according to him, dominate the business of import and export of goods in the country.
“The commercial cities are here in Onitsha (OMATA), Aba (Ariaria), Enugu and the rest of them, they are also the major importers.
“The Customs and Terminal Operators in every seaport in Nigeria know that those who contribute to the huge revenue of this nation through marine services are the Igbos.
“Therefore, it’s a welcome idea that the Orashi River Port is a topic to be discussed and a project to be handled as pioneered by the Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state. It is indeed a project that ought to be taken seriously by all stakeholders and the Federal Government,” the Monarch said.
He said those who claim the entire South East is landlocked are naïve because “what they do not know is that the Urashi River leads to Blue River and the Atlantic Ocean and therefore have the capacity to accommodate vessels of any capacity. The draft of that seaport will be very encouraging that no matter the tonnage of any ship, it will successfully anchor at the shores of the River.”
According to him, developing the Orashi Seaport is the greatest favour the government can do to the Igbo businessmen as that will reduce the hardship they go through to bring their goods and the huge cost they have to pay to bring their imports from Lagos or Port Harcourt to Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Nnewi.
Eze Ohanwe vowed that the governors from the zone, the business community and even the Ohaneze worldwide, are taking the development of the seaport seriously because of its benefit to the zone and Nigeria; “and we will go the extra miles to prevent those who wouldn’t want the Urashi Seaport actualized from having their way.”
He described the proposed seaport as the fortune of the zone today. “It is our economic deliverer and saviour, that our entrepreneurs, and our importers/ exporters of products from South East zone will breathe life into the economy which has its ripple effect on common man
“The Oguta community, the Imo community and by extension the South East will offer all needed support to the project.”
