The House of Representatives, on Wednesday mandated its committee on Ports, Harbours and Waterways and Public Procurement to investigate the contract to dredge Calabar Port Channel by a company which it described as incompetent.
The committees will also evaluate the work done so far by the contractor in the light of the total amount that had been paid to execute the contract.
This is sequel to a motion by Rep. Effiong Asuquo (Cross River-PDP), which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote.
Moving the motion, Asoquo explained that the Federal Government had in 1996 awarded the contract for the dredging of the Calabar Port Channel for the sum of N3 billion.
He said that later in 2006 the contract was re- awarded for the sum of 56 million dollars.
According to Asoquo, due to the non-completion of the dredging contract, the Federal Government awarded another contract in November 2014 for the sum of N20 billion for the completion of the project.
He said that with the contract signed by the Nigerian Port Authority, Bureau of Public Enterprises and the concessionaire, Calabar Channel Management, the port ought to be dredged to a depth of 9.8 metres.
“Although the depth of 9.8 metres has not been attained even though the Calabar channel management duly deployed its equipment to the water channel.
“The Port Authority has already paid the full contract sum of N20 billion to the contractors who are no longer on site.
“The Calabar Port Channel has potential to boost economic activities in the South-South, South-East and North-Central geopolitical zones of Nigeria and become oil and gas hub for West and Central Africa countries”.
He said that due to the non- completion of the dredging contracts for about two decades, the zones that it was designed to serve had continued to be denied the benefits.
Asoquo stressed that the non-completion of the project was also putting great pleasure on Lagos Ports as well as throwing up huge logistics challenges.
He added that the non-completion of the project also led to needless costs on cargoes meant for Calabar ports routed through the already congested Lagos ports.
The House therefore gives the Committee six week to report back.
Yakubu Dogara, House of Representatives Speaker
