The Lokoja River Port, one of the leading projects for the transformation of Nigerian inland waterways and maritime sector, has stalled for 14 years despite gulping billions, investigations have revealed.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE findings have shown that work is yet to resume at the project site in Akpanya community in Kogi State since 2016 when the contractor abandoned the site.
The contract was awarded in 2007 by President Umar Musa Yar’adua’s administration.
The inland waterways transformation masterplan was designed to include 11 river ports and 21 jetties. The other ports were proposed to be located at Baro in Niger; Onitsha in Anambra; Oguta in Imo; Okwagbe in Edo; Yenagoa in Bayelsa; Agenebode in Edo; Makurdi in Benue; Numan in Adamawa; Lokoja and Idah in Kogi.
Some of the jetties on the other hand were to be located in Eket, Nwaniga, Port Harcourt, Igbokoda, Yauri, Shinkatu, Kpata, Ilushin, Asaba, Aboh, Ibi, Lau, Baruka, Ndoni, Opobo, Owerinta, Sagbama, Atani and Numan.
Many reviews in-between
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE learnt that the Lokoja port project was first awarded to Messrs Foby Engineering Limited at the cost of N2.3 billion in 2007 and that a mobilisation fee of N800m was paid.
However, the project was said to have been revoked due to the inability of the contractor to perform and that it was later reviewed and subsequently re-awarded in the second quarter of 2012 to another company, Inter-Bau Construction Limited, at the cost of N4.112 billion.
The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan which re-awarded the contract on March 23, 2012, and gave the contractor 57 weeks as the expected period for the completion of the project.
Our correspondent that as at December 2013, when the project was expected to be completed and commissioned, the major component of the work was yet to take off even with almost 50 percent of the contract’s sum paid.
It was further learnt that when the new administration came on stream, the contractor applied for a 100 percent review of the money to the Ministry of Transportation on the ground that the cost of materials had gone up.
Rotimi Amaechi, the minister, allegedly turned down the request, while querying the rationale for an upward review of a project whose capacity and specifications were below that of the Baro Inland Port.
Our correspondent reports that the Baro port was built by a Chinese firm, CGCC Global Project Nigeria Limited, at the cost of N5.8 billion.
It has a quay length of 150 metres, cargo stacking yard of 7,000 square metres, a transit shed of 3,600 square metres and an estimated capacity of 5,000 TEU at a time.
It was gathered that while the dilly-dallying between the transportation ministry and the contractor was going on, funds were not released to proceed with the project, while salaries accumulated thereby resulting in a protest.
Still another review
However, 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE learnt that the federal government, last year, approved the upward review of the projects’ sum.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu, told our correspondent via telephone that “The Federal Executive Council (FEC) graciously approved the Ministry of Transportation’s memo for N2 billion revised cost for the completion of the project,” adding that the approval put the total cost of the project at N6.4 billion from N4.112 billion.
Moghalu noted that the federal government was committed to ensuring that the port which was “critical to Nigeria’s waterways operation” was completed and operational.
He said despite the cessation of work on the main project due to some bottlenecks, the authority had been on site extending the fetching and other works.
Also, NIWA’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Jibril Darda’u, said following the review of the contract’s sum, the contractor had been moving equipment to the site.
However, there was still no sign of activity when our correspondent visited the site last week and the tarred road to the vicinity was blocked to vehicular traffic.
Our correspondent also observed that structures which serve as offices of the company’s managers and engineers have not been refurbished ahead of their planned return.
One of the company’s security men, Malam Ishaq Musa, still keeps watch on the facility which comprises heavy duty vehicles and other machines.
Malam Musa said, “I also learnt that our people would return to site, but that was last year; we have not seen them yet. We do shift duty with my colleagues. We are the only staff around for now.”
Host community wants quick action
The people of Akpanya community expressed disappointment over the delay in the completion of the project after donating their land for the purpose.
Oheteh Dauda, the community’s spokesman, said a lot of promises were thrown their way by the federal government in form of jobs for their youths, social amenities and economic empowerment.
Dauda said, “Our hope and expectations, as well as the enthusiasm which heralded the commencement of the project, are fast fading.”
However, Moghalu said there was a silver lining despite the seeming dark cloud, assuring that, “There is no cause for alarm, the federal government is passionate about the project and we will see it to fruition.”
