By Godwin Oritse

Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar has said that the on going construction of the Lokoja River port is now about 56 per cent completed.

Senator Umar who led a team of official of the  Federal Ministry of Transport on an inspection visit to the new construction site of the Lokoja in-land River Port, said that the port when completed  will further enhance the activities of the newly commissioned Onitsha River port

The minister urged the contractor handling the project, Interbau West Africa Limited to hasten the completion of the project in record time.

Also at the inspection visit was the Governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada. The Managing Director of Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajia Inna Ciroma took both the Minister and the Governor round the construction site.

The minister explained that the construction of the Lokoja In- land Port and other in-land ports such as Onitsha and Baro would help the utilization of the dredged lower Niger channel in terms of the loading and discharge of cargoes also maintained that economic activities in the country would be seriously stimulated.

Senator Umar who expressed satisfaction with the high quality of job executed so far expressed confidence in the contractor, Interbau West Africa Limited whom the minister acknowledged to have done well in the rehabilitation of the Onitsha ultra-modern River Port, and promised to look into the request for the variation of the bill of quantities by the contractor once the request gets to his office.

In his own remarks, Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada thanked the Federal Government for constructing the Lokoja In-land River Port which he said would boost trade and commerce not only in his state but the entire country considering the central location of Lokoja.