ONITSHA (ANAMBRA) – Anambra State Shippers Association has urged the Federal Government to gazette Onitsha River Port as port of final destination for goods coming into the country.
The President of the association, Mr. Emma Akpaka, made the call while speaking to the newsmen in Onitstia, Anambra.
Akpaka spoke against the backdrop of the negative effect of locking up the multi-billion Naira Onitsha River Port project for over three years.
“Onitsha Port should be gazetted as a port of final destination for cargos and containers coming from any part of the world.
“As a matter of urgent public and economic importance, the Federal Ministry of Finance should make it a reality,’’ he said.
Akpaka said that when Onitsha River Port would be fully operational, it would aid decongestion of Onno Port in Rivers.
He said that millions of Naira and the jobs creation capacity that would follow the port were being denied some local government councils in Delat and Anambra.
Akpaka identified those councils as “Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West (in Anambra) as well as Asaba and Oshimili North (in Delta).
“An efficient Onitsha port will develop the waterways transport system along the entire communities close to the River Niger.
“Also, there will be less gridlock and excessive load that wear out tarred roads in the country,’’ he said.
