His Excellency, The Executive Governor, Imo State. Sir, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN OGUTA LAKE THAT WILL UNLOCK THE ECONOMIC POTENTIALS OF OUR DEAR STATE Your Excellency, I have chosen to write to you out of the enthusiasm and motivation I received upon listening to your manifesto during your campaign rally in Oguta where you stated that if reelected, that your second tenor in office would witness Industry Industry Industry, Factory Factory Factory Jobs Jobs Jobs. Your Excellency, while I express my excitement over your audacity of hope as embedded in this noblest dreams and promises to your people--I wish as a concerned citizen of this great State to humbly tender few suggestions that may help you to succeed. My Governor, My Governor, your quest to industrialize Imo State will be made easier if a roadmap for a viable transport system in the maritime sector is established. I overheard you saying that it would take one year or so for all the containers carrying the factory equipment to arrive Imo State and thereafter assemblage and erection of the facilities will commence. These containers will most likely arrive through Lagos ports. So now I ask, why Lagos ports? Why not Oguta Inland River Port? The answer is simple. Oguta Inland River Port complex has not been completed. There is also no effort now or in the nearest foreseeable future by the Federal Government under President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan to complete the project. Your Excellency It is not a secret anymore that the abandonment of Oguta Inland River Port by Jonathan led Federal government is a smaller part of a larger conspiracy to undermine the economic emancipation of the Southeast Nigeria. The Oguta Inland River Port project located in the ancient port of Ossemotor-- adjacent to Imo International Marine University project site-- was awarded to an indigenous contractor Scott Amede Engineering and Power Supply in July of 2009 by Late President YarAdua administration at the total cost of N2.743 Billion with a completion period of 24 months. After five and half years, this strategic national infrastructure is yet to be completed. Your Excellency, I believe as the Number One Citizen of this State, you have an oversight function on all the Federal government projects going on in your State. There is a report in the national daily where the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar claimed that the contractor handling Oguta Inland River port project had received over N2Billion. If this report is true, then what is stopping the release of the final installment in the funding to enable the contractor complete the project? Your Excellency, I suggest you invite the contractor for a tête-á- tête. Your Excellency, in view of the strategic economic importance of this landmark project, I wish and suggest that you prioritize your prospects in 2015 to include possible immediate takeover of the financing(on behalf of FG) of Oguta Inland River Port Project to ensure that this project is finally delivered before the end of the year. The abandonment and therefore the inability of Jonathan administration to complete Oguta Inland River Port project since 2009 is tantamount to betrayal and economic sabotage against the Igbos. Your Excellency, I want you to understand that if Oguta inland Port project is completed and activated, it will provide thousands of quality jobs and employment for Nigerians and Imolites in particular. Businessmen in the southeast and some parts of southsouth will no longer need to go to Lagos to access their containers from Lagos ports. All they will need will be to simply route their cargo ships from Asia, Europe and elsewhere to Oguta Lake. The port complex at Oguta, much like those at Apappa and Tin Can Island in Lagos State will then begin to generate massive revenues for Imo State. Your Excellency, I have known you to be a man of lofty and noble dreams. I therefore further suggest that you consider the establishment of a state owned port. This will obviously complement the upcoming Federal government port. You can bring in your friends from Turkey, China and Singapore to help you in a Private Public Partnership arrangement. Your Excellency finally, I want to refresh you memory that in May 2012, Federal Executive Council voted the sum of N2Billion for the dredging of Orashi River from Oguta Lake to Degema in Rivers State to enable ships with draft of upto 1.5 meters to access and berth at Oguta Port complex from Atlantic Ocean. Now, it is approaching three years and nothing has happened. Your Excellency, you deserve to know why this strategic project has not been started. Your Excellency, you also deserve to know why the Ministry of Transport has deviated from the initial designs of Oguta Inland River Port Project. The initial designs proposed by NIWA engineers (Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority) recommended a construction of 11Km artificial channelization that would link Oguta Lake directly to the marine superhighway of River Niger. Your Excellency, as a geologist I prefer this option because it will be cost effective in the long run. Unlike the route of Orashi river channel which will continue to require future maintenance dredging, the artificial canal will not, and will as a matter of fact provide proximity and better interconnectivity with the commercial hub center at Onitsha. Your Excellency, as you ready yourself to open a new chapter in the history of our dear state by launching Imo State into the privileged orbit of industrialization, it is my sincere prayers that you succeed. Imo Must Be Better! Kelvin Nwaka, Ossemotor in Oguta Imo State
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 12:01:19 +0000
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