Bad road threatens N3.5bn Baro River Port in Niger State

ABIOLA Seun |

Bad state of the road leading to the Baro river port, Niger state is threatening the completion and commissioning of the project, investigation has shown.

The office complex was awarded at a cost of N2.5billion and the cargo handling equipment worth about N1.5bn was completed in 2016 is yet to be commissioned and some of its cargo handling equipment yet to be installed due to the bad condition of the road leading to the port.

The lack of completion Of the River Port has also deprived Nigerian youths about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Recall that the N3.5 billion Baro River port awarded under the administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2011/12 at a cost of N2, 563,499,248.00 by the Federal Executive Council to Messrs CGGC Global Projects Ltd.

However, since the completion, the contractor handling the installation of Cargo handling equipment has not been able to deliver it due to the bad state of the roads.

It was gathered that no one could access the river port by road as it has been cut away by gullies which made the road un-motorable even by motorcycles.

For instance, the access road leading to the River Port from the Gegu express way in Kogi State is not motorable and needs urgent rehabilitation by the Federal Government if the project is to be of any economic value to the nation.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the Managing Director of First Index Nigeria Limited, the Contractor handling the installation of the Cargo handling equipment at the River Port, Mr. Opeyemi Olabanji, explained that they are going through serious challenges because of the deplorable condition of the access road.

He said they could not move their cranes and other cargoes to the port, he further said that the cargo handling equipment is very heavy and the trucks carrying the equipment could not pass through the bad road.

He however hoped that the Federal Government would urgently fix the road in the interest of the nation and for evacuation of the handling equipment to the river port.

Olabanji however urged the federal government to commence permanent solution to the dilapidated access road if it wants the river port to be in proper use and contribute to the development of the country.

“I commend the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for the palliative measures they are putting to make sure the equipment arrives at the River Port but emphasis must be made for a lasting solution to the deplorable condition of the road.”

“Baro River Port is considered as the flagship port of the Northern part of the country cannot function as it is now.”

However, a top management staff in NIWA had said that even though government had invested over N3.5bn in building and cargo handling equipment, the port still remained unused because of the bad state of the road.

The source said, “So many funds have been invested in the Baro River Port project running into over N3.5billion Naira. It is embarrassing that the port still remains unused, simply because the major road leading to the port is impassable,” the source lamented

He however urged the federal government to urgently ensure that the road was captured in the 2019 budget of the country to allow the river port to be put in proper use and halt the deterioration.

However, when contacted, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Tayo Fadile confirmed that the River Port has been completed in 2016 but has become inaccessible due to the bad state of the road.

He said, “The Baro River Port has been completed for two years running now and the River port itself has continued to deteriorate due to lack of use of the port complex.”