‘NPA spent N17.5bn rehabilitating abandoned Warri port’

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9 years ago

Investigations have revealed that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) spent a total of N17.5bn rehabilitating Warri port in Delta State. This is even as the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli Emiko recently stated that the Warri port and Koko ports, both in Delta State, are currently in an abandoned state.

Findings revealed that in 2011/2012, the NPA awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Julius Berger Terminal ‘C’ Old Port in Warri, Delta State for the sum of N9,200,000,000.00. The contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd.

Also during the same period, the agency awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the AMS Terminal ‘B’ Old port also at Warri port, Delta State for the sum of N7,300,000,000.00. The contract was awarded to Messrs China Harbour Engineering.

The third project embarked upon by the NPA at the Warri port was the reconstruction of Perimeter wall fence at a fee of N989,687,040.30. The contract for the perimeter fencing of the Warri port went to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited.

Although the stages and completion of there projects could not be ascertained as at the time of filing in this report, the contracts awarded has not in any way lifted the fortunes of the Old Warri port.

Efforts to get the Spokesman of the NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi, to speak on the idle state of the Warri port despite so much that have been spent proved abortive as calls and text messages made to his mobile phone were not responded to as at the time of filing in this report.

It would be recalled that the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli Emiko recently revealed that the Warri port and Koko port both in Delta State are currently in an abandoned state. This is even as the first class monarch bemoaned the abandonment of the Delta ports by successive government administrations.

The Olu of Warri had made this known when the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside led a delegation of the management of the agency to pay homage to the first class traditional ruler at his palace in Warri while on a tour of NIMASA’s operations in the Central Zone.