Admiralty Lawyers Society of Nigeria, has decried the abandonment of the Eastern Ports by the Federal Government, saying that “ Eastern Ports are now a shadow of their former selves and operating at very low capacity”.
The group noted during a capacity building programme organised by its members in Port Harcourt, Rivers State that there was need for the government to reverse the trend.
In his opening address, National President of the group, Angus Chukwuka, observed that the Federal Government has deviated attention from the maritime sector in the economics of the nation, thereby concentrating its attention on oil and gas.
Chukwuka said the negligence of government in reviving some of the dilapidated ports in the region, has contributed to the security and maintenance challenges faced by the maritime workers in the area.
He said across the globe, countries are making fortunes from seaports, while Nigerian government has allowed its own assets to rot away.
He said: “The Federal Government must review its policies with respect to the Eastern Ports, formulate and implement regulations or policies that would bring the Eastern Ports not just back to life, but highly strategically improved to deal with the issues of rising unemployment., restiveness and cry of marginalisation in the East.”