• Friday, March 29, 2024
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The lies, half truths that keep PH port down

The lies, half truths that keep PH port down

For years, the impression out there was that there is no port in Port Harcourt Port. What an irony. The impression was that though there may be a physical port located at Abonnema Wharf area through Azikiwe Road, but that no goods pass through there. It was said that bombs from the war era ravaged the quays and rendered them unfit for port operations.

These days, the impression is that the port is totally insecure from the high seas to the port itself. They make it look like there drought is so low that no serious ship can sail in, and that wharf rats have taken over everywhere and everything. It was believed that no serious equipment such as cranes or lifters are available. The worst was that the collapsed road to from Azikiwe Road Junction seemed to complete the image of an obliterated facility.

The worst was that many journalists grew into this impression and accepted it as ‘fact’. Thus, reporting followed this line of reasoning. Nobody tried to probe deeper to get to the truth.

On this account, importers, mostly from the east and south-south, convinced themselves that ports were only in Lagos. Thus, goods passed from the south-south coast to Lagos, offloaded and transported back to the region for consumption. The result is that items bought in Lagos for N1000 can sell for N3000 in Ph zone. There is also a black market in Lagos receiving goods from smuggling routes in Cotonou, Benin, and the wharfs into Lagos mainland. This subsidized the general Lagos price index to the detriment of other regions. It was a vicious intra-country commercial competition which the east lost.

True position

Newsmen were shocked recently when a business guru and tractor manufacturer, Ibifiri Bobmanuel, debunked the low drought impression which he said had even been sold to topmost transportation officials such as ministers, NIMASA, NPA civil officials, importers, etc. He said: “The minister and DG of NIMASA all came and talked about droughts. This is not the issue. The drought in Port Harcourt seaport has one of the highest in the country. Lagos is between 13 and 16; PH has between 15 and 17. So, this tells you it’s not about the drought.

“The South-south and South East zones still have a huge potential when it comes to portrelated activities or maritime activities because as far back as 1912, Port Harcourt was actually the first destination for a deep seaport in Nigeria. The NPA was working skeletally on it. Later, sea ports were developed in Lagos at Apapa and Tin-can, then Warri and Calabar.”

Insecurity: No port in the world is 100 secure on its own. Coastguards escort vessels into the ports. This is what is happening in PH port; escorted vessels and there has been no single attack in years, as confirmed by the immediate past port manager, Abubakar Garuba Umar, who played host to maritime reporters before he left.

The myth about being ravaged by bombs is now found to be half-truth. The quays are functioning except Quay 8. Others underwent minor repairs and are back. Businessday who was imbedded in an inspection tour last week could confirm a lot of goings on.

Wreckage is real but no ship has been stopped. NIMASA headed by an Opobo-born technocrat is capable of handling it, though it was gathered that the NPA has used it as cash cow for decades in the name of clearing it. If a bit of transparency through coverage by maritime reporters is allowed, this will be set aright.

The trip revealed all manner of equipment on ground lifting containers out of berthed ships. The repair yard of PTOL is headed by an expatriate who is said to be alert 24 hours. No heavy-duty can leave the yard un-repaired. Parts are stocked there, too. There are also world-class cranes within the region that can be hired to come in and do special work.

An official said his colleague in Lagos asked what he was doing in PH since the port there was not functional. He was shocked that such myth is prevalent around Nigeria. He revealed that his firm (concessionaire) met its 2019 target in May. He insisted that the port is fully functional.

MAN to be manly to rescuing PH port

On Friday, the Rivers/bayelsa chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the senator, Adawari Michael Pepple, led a small team to PTOL to see how the port is operating. He said he had just received a container of his import from there.

He said: The Port Harcourt Port was the centrepoint of Port Harcourt City and beehive of activities over the decades. We as MAN need support from the stakeholders including Customs, NIMASA, House of Reps, National Assembly, etc. All importers in the zone must come back here. Thank God that the Lagos State governor has cried out for other ports to be made functional so as to free Lagos roads. The city of Lagos is being choked by endless rows of trucks waiting to enter or leave the ports.

He demanded for special incentives from the PTOL other than the 10 per cent discount offered by the NPA. He made it clear that the Onne port was too exorbitant for small importers. “This is a fight we must take seriously. It is the fight of our lives.”

PTOL MD; Denrick Moos

The GM (Efioita Ephraim) and I are new here but we bring combined 60 years experience in the industry. He comes with public sector experience and I am a private sector person. Together, we complement things and make progress. We often think alike. The PTOL is working hard to justify the concession given to it (4 quays). The Port Harcourt port is back and working very well. We have all equipment needed to attend to any type of ship that calls at this port.

The shipping world has realized our capability and in fact, by May this year, we have met our 2019 target. We now handle ships in about four days instead of 14 days needed for such operations. What matters is that most of the revenue a port generates is also spent in that city. This boosts the economy of any port city. The world is beginning to realize the prowess of the Port Harcourt Port and every day we get inquiries about whether truly the PH Port is working.

All our equipment are working as a tour will show you. We have a functional workshop with expertise to repair all our cranes and other heavy duty equipment needed here.

People give some excuses to shun the PH port such as insecurity, roads, equipment. We can tell you that we have the equipment, the warehouses, etc needed to operate.

The major challenge is access roads. (The Port Harcourt-enugu Expressway will help importers in the east to move their containers from PH to their destinations. The Onne Road would make way for those heading to that route). On discount, we can consider the MAN members in graduated forms.