The nation’s Port Economic Regulator, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is worried over the heinous act of vandalism and theft of railway tracks connecting the Inland ports in the country.
According to the council, the incessant cases of stealing of the national asset along Lagos-Kaduna, Kaduna-Zaria, Zaria-Funtua and Kano has crippled the commencement of train transport of cargo from and to the hinterland ports.
Executive Secretary of the council, Barr. Pius Akutah, raised the concern while inspecting the Funtua Inland Dry Port, Katsina ahead of its inauguration.
Although, the port has commenced informal commercial conveyance of freight through heavy trucks on road, however the use of train system is considered pivotal to cost effectiveness, less risk and overall management of dry port.
The Council boss explained that the Federal Government is harnessing energy to overcome the challenges and ensure the railway system is connected to the Inland dry ports, calling for an end to needless obstruction of government investment.
Akutah challenged Katsina State government and locals around the railway line to take ownership of the critical national assets, insisting the Federal Government alone must not be responsible to protect the entire facility within the states.
While applauding the efforts of Funtua Inland Dry Port concessionaires on the project so far, the NSC boss called the management to intensify energy on completion of the facility to meet target set for commissioning.
Akutah, who alongside the management team of the council and Professor Busayo Fakinlade, Technical Adviser to Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, were conducted round the facility, however sited few lapses that should be urgently fixed.
The minister’s technical adviser specifically drew the attention of the port managers on open drainage and untarred ways around the warehouse, demanded the commitment of the concessionaire to complete work in two weeks.
Akutah said: “We are here on the instruction of the minister to inspect the level of work done so far ahead of the President’s visit for commissioning of the facility. The role of the ministry is to ensure the nation slide away from oil dependant economy and diversify in the area of non-oil sector, especially in the blue sea sector.
The development of Inland Dry Ports across the country was an initiative of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to bring import and export shipping into the hinterland thereby decongesting the sea port and advance economy activities in the dry port.
“From what we have seen, the management of the dry port has done well because we know the project is capital intensive but we have also observed areas that needed to be improved on. For instance, you need to improve in the general clean up, furnishing of the offices, planting of flowers and recruitment of staff.”
Reacting Managing Director, Funtua Inland Dry Port, Ahmad Ibrahim Dodo, said the management has invested huge resource to officially kickstart operations at the facility which is said already at 95 per cent ready for commissioning.
Dodo gave the leadership of the port regulator the assurance to fix all the recommendations and get the port ready for commission before the end of January.
Funtua Inland Dry Port has already been accredited as port of origin and the destination has been scheduled for official flag off by President Bola Tinubu by first quarters of 2024.