FG charged to dredge Calabar port channel

Godfrey BIVBERE

Federal government has been charged to dredge the Calabar port channel as a matter of urgency to improve shipping activities in the state, as well as create employment opportunity for youths in the country.

The charge came from stakeholders who meet in Calabar recently to look at the economic benefits of dredging the Calabar port channel. In a communique at the end of the one-day enlightenment forums called on government urgently dredge the channel because low draft of channel to the port has rendered it incapable of handling vessels above 10,000 deadweight.

The stakeholders at the forum put to gather by the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), stressing the importance of dredging the channel since it is strategically located to service South East, North East and some countries in the Central African sub_region.

Apart from the low channel, the stakeholders also noted that the low patronage of Calabar Port caused by very poor access roads and lack of rail links. They therefore called for the dualization of the access road to Calabar and the impediment posed by the Ikom Bridge should be corrected allow ship movement.