From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
About 1,000 containers are targeted to be hauled per trip from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port, within a maximum duration of 4 days.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Managing Director, Chief George Moghalu disclosed this in a press release, yesterday, in Onitsha, Anambra State through the General Manager of Corporate Affairs of the NIWA, Mr Jibril Darda’u.
He explained that all it would take was to engage the services of Akewa Colmar Terminal Limited (ACTL) to move containers from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port through Burutu Port in Delta State, just as the authority was engaging the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders to facilitate the commencement of the cargo haulage.
“In an effort to make Onitsha River Port functional, and to decongest the Lagos Ports, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, is to engage the services of Akewa Colmar Terminal Limited to move containers from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port via Burutu Port in Delta State.
“The idea of hauling containers via Burutu Ports to Onitsha River port is to deliberately avoid the two small bridges of Gbarekolo and Bumandi.
“Gbarekolo and Bumandi bridges are too tiny and shallow for sea moving badges or vessels to ply through. That is why the company, ACTL, is considering the route from Lagos Ports to Burutu Port, then to Onitsha River Port as final destination.
“NIWA is targeting about 1,000 containers to be hauled per trip from Lagos Ports to Onitsha River Port within the maximum duration of four days.
“We are also engaging the Nigeria Ports Authority and other stakeholders to facilitate the commencement of the Cargo haulage, ” the NIWA M/D said.
Chief Moghalu disclosed that the Chairman of ACTL, Chief Kenneth Donye, had during a proposal defense at NIWA Liaison Office Abuja, before the management team of NIWA, expressed the readiness of his company to partner with NIWA in carrying out “the noble and historic” transshipment from Lagos Ports via Burutu Port to Onitsha River Port, as final destination.