Okowa Calls For Dredging Of Excravos Bar To Make Delta Ports Functional

TO boost socio-economic life of Nigerians, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has said the dredging of the Excravos bar would ensure that bigger vessels berths at the Warri, Koko and other sea ports in Delta State.

Speaking when the Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman paid him a courtesy visit  (09/11/16) in Asaba, Governor Okowa stated that functional sea ports in Warri, Koko and other parts of Delta State would ensure that there are no idle hands because, such would create job opportunities for the people and also, ensure speedy movement of goods and services from the Ports to different parts of the country.

Delta State apart from being blessed with natural resources, also, has four sea ports located in Warri, Koko, Burutu and Sapele which have become idle as a result of the Escravos bar that has hindered bigger vessels from accessing the ports.

Governor Okowa who commended the Managing Director of NPA for her interest towards reviving the Warri Port stated, “when the Ports are functional, they will improve a lot of business activities in the state, especially, the Warri area and the riverine communities.”

“Functional Ports will be very important when construction work starts at the Gas Revolution Park and the dredging of the Excravos bar will enable bigger vessels to come into the Ports,” the governor said, asserting, “we are happy that you are on inspection tour of the Warri Port, we support anything that is going to create job for our people and we believe that our people will be very active when work starts at the Ports.”

He disclosed that because of the importance attached to the Ports by the Delta State government, the state undertook the dualisation of the Ughelli-Asaba expressway to facilitate easy movement of goods from the Ports to the commercial city of Onitsha and the South-East in general, adding that functional Ports in Delta State would save businessmen in the South East and some parts of the country the risks of making use of the sea ports in Lagos.

Earlier, Hadiza Bala Usman had told the governor and members of the state executive council that they were in the state to inspect the facilities at the Warri Port and see how it can be made functional in the shortest possible time.

She assured the governor that Deltans would be carried along in the development of the ports and called for partnership with all stakeholders to enable the Warri Port become functional again.