The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, has disclosed that the Federal Government (FG) will in no distant time make a ‘Port Declaration’ of the proposed Deep Sea Port in Ondo State to proclaim the commencement of other processes at the port.
According to a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, on Thursday, by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of State for Transportation, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the Minister gave this evidence when he received Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at the Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja.
Sambo commended the steps taken by the Ondo State government to prepare for the port declaration, adding that once all the prerequisites established by the extant laws were met, the FG would not hesitate to make the Ondo Port Declaration, under Section 30 of the Ports Act.
Sambo said is working tirelessly to ensure the port comes to life before the end of the Akeredolu-led administration, noting that having another deep sea port will do a lot of good to the blue economy policy of the federal government.
Addressing those who posit that there’s a flurry of seaports in the country, he said the port would be a positive thing if achieved, as the presence of the Atlantic Ocean, the Rivers Niger and Benue puts the country on a better pedestal to harness, explore and export its rich minerals to other countries.
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Speaking Governor Akeredolu said the reason for the visit was to acquaint the ministry with the vision of the state government on the development of a deep seaport in the Ilaje area of the state by the Federal Government’s module of Public Private Partnership.
Akeredolu said the port, if achieved, would bring enormous socio-economic benefits to the Federal Government, the state and the host communities, adding that Dubai Port and China Harbour were among the many international partners that had signalled their interest in developing the proposed port.
Also, the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, said the state government had made a compelling defence for the port and therefore thanked Sambo for his support.
According to Adegoroye, “Sambo is a seasoned technocrat having ventured across the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority and the National Inland Waterways and would not need the conviction of others as to the importance of the Port Ondo project.”
Adegoroye further assured the governor that the ministry would attach priority to the project as he had earlier stated that he would like to see the port come to life before the end of his tenure as a minister.
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