By  Godwin Oritse
Some Concessionaires operating in the nation’s seaports risks revocation of their concession agreement  as the  Federal Government has concluded  plans carry out a review of their performance.

The government has noted that some concessionaires have performed poorly since 2005 when they took over operation of the terminals.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Abuja, Transport Minister Senator Idris Umar said that the Ministry will soon commence the review the performance of such concessions.

Although, Idris noted that the port reform exercise is yielding some positive despite yhe initial challenges concessionaires faced when the terminals were handed to them.\

Idris who briefed the media on the commemoration of the first 100 days of President Goodluck Jonathan  in office   also stated that the reforms has yielded some fruits such as ship waiting time, cargo dwell time and ship turn around time.

He further stated that the concessionaires are being monitored with a view to ensuring that the desired objectives of the entire port reform exercise are achieved.

His words “Concessionaires at our various ports and terminal who are currently operating the nation’s seaports  are closely monitored to ensure that the desired objectives of the partnership is achieved.

“I am happy to report that inspite of the initial challenges, the ports concessioning is yielding positive result in the operational indices such as job creation and revenue generation.

“However, some of the concessionaires are reported not be performing, the Ministry will soon review such concessions and revoke those that are performing poorly.

“Let me use this opportunity to state that  the Ministry is determined to blocked all leakages in out ports particularly in the area of revenue generation:”.

Besides the revocation of the concession of the terminals that are not performing too well, the Federal Government has also concluded plans to develop new deep sea ports in at Lekki in Lagos , Badagry  also in Lagos a and Olojola in Ondo/Ogun states.

He disclosed that the proposed  deep seaport development have been concessioned to both foreign and indigenous terminal operators so as to improve efficiency and reduce cost of operation.

Maritime analysts are of the opinion that the development of the terminals are a far cry from what the concessionaires agreed to in the aggrement they singed with the government.